Full text of "Travels through the states of North America, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797. By Isaac Weld, junior. Second edition. Illustrated and embellished with sixteen plates. In two volumes. ... 1799: Vol 1"

See other formats

TRAVELS
THROUGH THE STATES

NORTH AMERIC 4,

AND THE
— : * * :
VR 6 * . 3

PROVINCES OF.
UPPER AND LOWER CANADA,

DURING

THE YEARS 1795. 1796, AND 1797.
——— — —
Br ISAAC WELD, Joxton.

—ꝛ— — _————
SECOND EDITION.

ILLUSTRATED AND EMBELLISHED WiTH SIXTEEN PLATES.

— —

IN TWO VOLUMES 8
VOL I.

— —

— ——

L 0 ND © Ny

PRINTED FOR JOHN STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY,
| ——

1799.

—
— +
—
— — — —
—

r
mn

8 r r. —
GW —

Pp R E Y A O5B5
AT a period when war was ſpread-

ing deſolation over the faireſt
parts of Europe, when anarchy ſeem-

ed to be extending its frightful pro-

greſs from nation to nation, and when
the ſtorms that were gathering over
his native country in particular,
rendered it impoſſible to ſay how

ſoon any one of its inhabitants might
be forced to ſeek for refuge in a fo-

reign land; the Author of the follow

ing pages was induced to croſs the

Atlantic, for the purpoſe of exa-
mining with his own eyes into the

Ireland.

I truth

" 1 8 F \ TOY 1 1 b : ' : G ; (
a ad 1 n ä CMM FE: 5% iT was = ex a. =» to ts ad AY e 8

a b n.
truth of the various accounts which
had been given of the flouriſhing and
happy condition of the United States
of America, and of aſcertaining whe-
ther, in caſe of future emergency, any
part of thoſe territories might be
looked forward to, as an eligible and
agrecable place of abode. Arrived in
America, he travelled pretty generally
through the ſtates of Pennſylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New
Jerſey, and New Vork; he afterwards
paſſed into the Camsdss, deſirous of

” 1% Ws 0.1 a FP Lo T_T
CS —F > 3 * ge, 1 , ==
——a 6 — 3 KK * & a

ee 9 ü

WH,

obtaining equal information as to the

* =

ſtate of thoſe provinces, and of de-
termining from his own immediate
obſervations, how far the preſent con-
dition of the inhabitants of the Britiſh
dominions in America might be in-
ferior, or otherwiſe, to that of the
people of the States, who had now
indeed

ere =
* * 8 gs”!

| © PEA” MTS SOTO . ER onNT
——_ - 3 : £ = = = l 1 F : ,
-4 ">: ICs 7 * _=_ 6 — * =
\ +. amd "= ä Lo . Q y

=_ n
=

FALL FF ACK *

indeed thrown off the yoke, but were
formerly common members of the
ſame extenſive empire.

Wurd abroad, he had not the moſt
diſtant intention of publiſhing his
travels; but finding on his return
home, that much of the matter con-
tained in the following letters was
quite new to his friends, and being
induced to think that it might prove
equally new, and not wholly unac-
ceptable to the Public, he came to
the reſolution of committing them to
print: accordingly thepreſentvolume®
is now offered to the world, in an
humble hope, that if not entertaining
to all readers, it will at leaſt be ſo to
ſome, as well as uſeful to future tra-
vellers.

* The firſt edition was printed in one quarto volume,

A 3 Is

nnr lc k.

Ir it ſhall appear to any one, that
he has ſpoken with too much aſperity
of American men and American man-
ners, the Author begs that ſuch lan-
guage may not be aſcribed to haſty

prejudice, and a bliud partiality for
| every thing that is European. He
eroſſed the Atlantic ſtrongly prepoſ-
ſeſſed in favour of the people and the
country, which he was about to viſit;
and if he returned with ſentiments of
a different tendency, they reſulted
ſolely from a cool and diſpaſſionate
obſervation of what chance preſented
to his view when abroad.

AN enthuſiaſtic admirer of the
beauties of nature, the ſcenery of the
countries through which he paſſed did
not fail to attract a great part of his
attention; and interſperſed through

the

Ff NM HF A . vii

the book will be found views of what
he thought would be moſt intereſting
to his readers: they are what he him-

ſelf ſketched upon the ſpot, that of

Mount Vernon, the Seat of General
Waſhington, indced, excepted, for
which he is indebted to an ingenious
friend that he met in America, and
the View of Bethlehem. He has
many more views in his poſſeſſion ;
but he thought it better to furniſh
his Publiſher with a few only, in
hopes that the engraving froni them
would be well executed, rather than
with a great many, which, had they
been given, muſt either have been in
a ſtyle unworthy of the public eye,
or elſe have ſwelled the price of the
volume beyond the reach of many
that may now read it. Of the re-

ſemblance which theſe views bear to

— - their

viii er .

their reſpective archetypes, thoſe
alone can be judges who have been
ſpectators of the original ſcenes. With
regard to the Cataract of Niagara,
however, it muſt be obſerved, that in
views on ſo ſmall a ſcale no one muſt
expect to find a lively repreſentation
of its wonderful and terrific vaſtneſs,
even were they executed by artiſts of
far ſuperior merit; the inſerting of
the three in the preſent work is done

merely in the hope that they may

help, together with the ground plan
of the precipice, if it may be ſo call-
ed, to give a general idea of the po-
ſition and appearance of that ſtupen-
dous Cataract. Thoſe who are deſi-
rous of becoming more intimately ac-
quainted with it, will ſoon be grati-
fied, at leaſt ſo he has been given to
underſtand by the artiſt in whoſe
hands

N EFH AME. ix

hands they at preſent are, with a ſet of
views from the maſterly pencil af
Captain Fiſher, of the Royal-Britifh/
Artillery, which are allowed by all
thoſe who have viſited the Falls of

Niagara, to convey a more perfect
idea of that wonderful natural curio-
ſity, than any paintings or engravings
that are extant. |

FinaLLy, before the Reader pro-
ceeds to the peruſal. of the enſuing
pages, the Author will juſt beg leave
to apprize him, that they are the. pro-
duction of a very youthful pen, un-
accuſtomed to write a great deal, far
leſs to write for the preſs: It is now
for the firſt time that one of its pro-
ductions is ventured to be laid before
the public eye. As a firſt attempt,
thereſore, it is humbly hoped that the
preſent

x
ut ; a 2 p
—_—_ 8 my . n —— F 1 1

* Nr. E.

preſent work may meet with a gene-
rous indulgence, and not be too ſevere-
ly criticiſed on account of its nume-
rous imperfections.

Dublin,
zoth December 1798.

li
4 E RR AT A.
: VOL. I.
Page 205 line 10, for 60® read 6*
i — 381 au 7, dele there.
"
0 vo L. 1.
Ml — 18 — 28, for take, read take on.

— 23 — 14, for houſes, read ſtorehouſes.
| — 171 4 of the note, de/e not.

CONTENTS

To VOLUME I.

LETTER I.

Arrival on the Coaſt of America. — Trret the jarft
Object vifible. Deſcription of the Bay and River
of Delaware. —Paſſengers bound for Phuladels
phia not ſuffered ta land till exammed 'by the
Health Officers — Arrival at Philadelphia.
Poor Appearance of the City from the Water .—
Plan of the City. —Wharfs.- Public and private
Buildings. Some Account of the Hoſpital, and
of the Gaol - - — — page 1

LETTER II.

Population of Philadelphia. — Some Account of the
Inhabitants, their Character and Manners —Pri-
vate Amuſements.— Americans loſe their Teeth
prematurely.—T beatrical Amuſements only per-
mitted of late. —Yuakers,—Prefident's Levee and
Drawing Room.—Places of public Worſhip —
Carriages, what Sort of, uſed in Philadelþbia.—
Taverns, how conducted in America.—Dificulty
of procuring Servants. —Charatter of the lower
Clajjes of People in America = = page 20

LETTER IM
Journey to Baltimore, — Deſcription of the Country

about Philadelphia, — Floating Bridges over the

Schuylkill,

[ F
=
=”
«
*
50
1
0
*
=o
"E i
I
=
[
4

xii e.
Scbuylkill, how conſtructed.— Mills in Brandy-
wine Creek. Improvement in the Machinery of
Flour Mills in America. —Town of Wilming-
ton.—Log Houſes. —Bad Roads.— Fine Pro-
ſpects.— How reliſbed by Americans —Taverns,
' —Suſquehannah Rriver.—Town of Baltimore. —
Plan of (the Town.— Harbour. Public and
private Buildings. —Inhabitants.—Country be-
teen Baltimore and Waſhington—Execrable
Roads — - - - page 31

EMT TER IV:

Foundation of the City of Waſhington.— Not readily
agreed to by different States, —Choice of the
Ground left to General Waſhington. —Circum-
fances to be conſidered in cbuſing the Ground.
T he Spot fixed upon central ta all the States. —
Alſo remarkably advantageouſly ſituated for
Trade. Nature of the Back Country Trade.—
Summary View of the principal Trading Towns
in the United States. —Their Proſperity ſhewn to
depend on the Back Country Trade —Deſerip=
tion of the Patowmac Rrver.—Its Conneftin
with other Rivers pointed out.— Prodigious Ex-
tent of the Water Communication from Maſbing-
ton City in all Dire&i5ms.—Country likely to
trade immediately with Waſbington.— Situation
of Waſhington.— Plan of the City.— Public
Buildings.—Soine begun, others projected. —Ca-
pital Preſident's Houſe. — Hotel. — Stone and
other building Materials found in the Neighbour =

8 hood.

— 8

CONTENTS. xii”

hood.—Private Houſes and Inhabitants at pre-
ſent. in the City. — Different Opinions reſpecting
the future Greatneſs of the City. Inpedimenta
thrown in the Way of its Improvement, —What
has given riſe to this - - page 49
DET T. EAV
Some Account 5f Alexandria. Maunt Vernon, the
Seat of General Waſhington.-— Difficulty of” find=
ing the Way thither through the Waods—De-
„ ſcription of the Mount, and of the Views from it.
— Deſcription of the Houſe and Grounds, Slaves
at Mount Vernon. —T houghts thereon. A Per-
fon at Mount Vernon to attend to Strangers.
Return to Waſhington = page 90

L BET T ER VI

Arrival at Philadelphia. — Some Obſervations on
the Climate of the Middle States. Public Car-
riages prevented from plying between Baltimore
and Philadelphia by the Badneſs of the Roads.
Let Baltimore during Fraſtl.— Met with Ame.
rican Travellers on the Road. —T heir Behaviour
preparatory to ſetting off ſrom an Inn.—Arrivat
on the Banks of the Suſquehannah.—Paſſage of

that River when frozen over. Dangerous Situ-
ation of the Paſſengers.— American Travellers

/ at the Tavern on the oppoſite Side of the River,—
. T heir noiſy Diſputations '= - — page 96
. L E. TT RN. VII.

1 Pbiladelpbia gayer in the Winter than at any other
- Seaſon, Celebration in that City of General
— Waſhington's

- To
*
md 0 k
>
— _ 9
[Ry = * *
= * 3 5
1 , = - \ N * N 3 p —— = p = : AS - — 1 p _— - ak. E : \ * ”Y Y * Mo _—_ = n „
. 1214.4 \ 4 0 13 8 OF WF..4 n nad \ \ _ —_ 2 k \ : : l = l YT OT, TIS * * = l \ a —_ JL Wo = #4 o Cn 2 7 ty ® = 8 . 8 Ke = *
=_ IS) 8 2 L l ? _ U 8 4 > - \ = N q # _— | [== - 1 6 W 1 ks Me — * 4 1 is
i 1 —_ "hs F, oy —_ A \ _ - _ ” - = 9 . af ö = o q = n =_ & = 4 = — * W { 1 = by o a 5 = . ou [ f - = \ { = \ has . i Ly \ j = _
. ee n D —_— = a _—” - 1 r IO e r re. ee n bs A © EY a o — —— = i 5 4 "I. . Din = = o 2 n „ N = RY Wa. # —_— 1 bp =

xiv CONTENT 6
Waſhington's Birth Day.—Some Account of Ce-
reral Waſhington's Perſon and of his Character.
— Americans diſ/atisfied with his Conduct as Pre-
faent.— A Spirit of Difjatisfattion commen
among ſi them - - — page 104

ER VIII.

Singular Mildneſs of the Winter of 179 5-6. — Set
ont for Lancaſter. —Turnp:he Road between that
Place and Philadelphia. Summary View of the
Stateof Peunſylvania.— Deſcriptian of the Farms
between Lancaſter and Philadelphia. — The
Farmers live in a penurious Sty/:,—Greatly in-

ferwr to Engliſb Farmers. Bad Taverns on this
Road. — I aggons and Waggoners.-—Cuſtoms of
the latter. — Deſeriptian of Lancaſter.— Lately
made the Seat of the State Government. — Ma-
nufactures carried onthere.—Rifle Guns. — Great
Dexterity with which the Americans uſe tbem.—
Auecdate of Two Virginian Soldiers belonging to
4 Rifle Regiment 8 - page 109
LET © ER IX.

Number of Germans in the Neighbourhood of York
and Lancaſter.— How brought over.— White
Slave Trade. —Cruelty frequently practiſed in
the carrying it 0n.—Charatter of the German

Settlers contraſted with that of the Americans. —
Paſſage of the Sufquehannah between York and
Lancaſter. Great Beauty of the Proſpects along
the River. Deſcription of York.—Courts of

FJuſtice there, —Of the PennſyFoanian Syſtem of
Fudigalure - — Page 120

CONTENTS.

LETTER X.

Of the Country near V ork, —Of the Soil of the
Country on each Side of the Blue Moumtains.—
Frederic-town.—Change in the Inhabitants and
in the Country as you proceed towards the Sea.
Numbers of Slaves. Tobacco chiefly cultivated.
—Inquifitrveneſs of the People at the Taverns.—
ObJervations thereon. ——Deſeription of the Great
Falls of the Patowmac Riuer.— George Toun.—
Of the Country between that Place and Hoe's
Ferry. Poiſonous Vines. — Port Tobacco.—
Wretched Appearance of the Country bordering
upon the Ferry.—Slaves negletted—Paſſage
of the Patowmac very dangerous. Freſb Na-

ter Oyſters. Landed on a deſerted Part of the
Virginian Sbore.— Great Hoſpitality of the Vir-
ginian = = - - page 131

LETTER N

Of the Northern Neck Virginia. — Finſt ſettled
by the Engliſh. — Houſes built by them remaining.
— Diſparity of Condition among jt the Inhabitants.
—FEates worked by Negroes.—Condition of the
Slaves.—IVorſe in the Carolinas —Lands worn
out by Cultivation of Tobacco. — Mode of culti-
vating and curing Tobacco. — Houſes in Virginia.
—Thoſe of Wood preferred. Lower Claſſes of
People in Virginia, — Their unhealthy Appear -

ace = © =» » pea4e

xvi CONTENTS.
rere x1.

Town of Tappahannock.——Rappahannock River.
-* ——Sharks found in it —Country bordering upon
Urbanna.-—Pires common in the Woods. - Man-
ner of fiopping their dreadful Progreſs.— Made
of getting Turpentine from Trees, —Gloaceſter.
ort Town. — Remains of the Fortifications
erected here during the American War.— Houſes
fbattered by Balls ſtill remuining. Cave in tbe
Ban of the River. — WV. #uliamſbur gh. — State
Houſe in Rums.—Statue of Lord Bottetourt.—

' College of William and Mary.—Conditton of the
Students = — — = fage 158

LETTER XIII.

Hampton.— Ferry to Norfolk.— Danger in craſſing
the numerous Ferris in Virginia.— . Norfolk. —
Laws of Virginia injurious to the Trading Intereſt.
— Streets narrow and dirty in Norfolk.—Yellow
Fever there. — Obſervations on this Diſorder. —
Violent Party Spirit among jt the Inhabitants.—
Few Churches in Virginia. Several in Rums.—

Private Grave Yards - - page 169

LWETPEK AV.
Deſeription of, Diſmal Stamp. Mild Men found

in it. Hearse, Wotves, &c.— Country between

wamp and Richmond. Mode of making Tar
and Pitch.—Poor Soil. —Wretched Taverns.—
Corn Bread. — Difficulty of getting Food for
Hor ſos —Peterſburgh.—— Horſe Races there —
Deſcription

CONTENTS. wii

Deſeriprion of Virginian Horſes —Style of Rid.

iag in America.— Defeription of | Richmond,
Capital of Virginia. — Singular Bridge aeros
James River, —State Houſe — Falls of James
River. Gambling common in Richmond. — Lows
er Claſſes of People very quarreiſome;—Their
Mode of Fighting.—Gouging +» page 178

LETTER XV.

Deſcription of Virginia between Richmond and the _

Mountains Fragrance of Flowers and Shrubs
in the Woods. —Meloay of the Birds,—Of the
Birds of Virginia.-—Mocking Bird.—Blue Bird.
— Red Bird, &c.—Smgular Noiſes of the Frogs.
— Columbia.—Magazine there. — Fire Flies in
the Woodt.— Green Springs. —Wretchedneſs of
the Accommodation there. — Difficulty of finding
the Way through the Woods, —Serpents, Rata
tle- Snake. — Copper-Snake, — Black Snake. —
South-weft, or Green Mountains.»=Soil of them.
— Mountain Torrents do great Damage.—Sa-
lubrity of the Clmate.--Great Beauty of the
Peaſantry.— Many Gentlemen of Property living
here. — Monticello, the Seat of Mr. Fefferſon.—
Vineyards.-Obſervations on the Culture of the

Grape, and the Manufatture of Wine - page 19 3

LETT IEA XV.

Of the Country between the South-1veft. and Blue

Mountams,—Copper and Iron Mines. — Lynch-
bur gi. Nero London. Armoury bere.— De-

ſeriptian of the Road over the Blue Moun-

Nor. I. a tains.—

xvji CONTENTS.
tams,— Peaks of Otter, big beſt of the Mountains.
Suppoſed Hetght,— Much over-rated.—Ger-
man Settlers numerous beyond the Blue Moun-
tams.—Smgular Contraſt between the Country
and the Inhabitants on each Side of the Moun-
tains,—Of the Weevil, —Of the Heſffian Fly.—
Bottetourt County. — Its Soil. — Salubrity of the
Climate. — Medicinal Springs here. — Much fre-
quented = - — — page 209

LET TR... XVIL
Deſeription of the celebrated Rock Bridge, and of
an immenſe Cavern. — Deſcription of the She-
nandoa Valley. — inhabitants moſtly Germans.—
Sail and Climate. —Obſervations on American
Landſcapes. — Mode of cutting down Trees.—
High Road to Kentucky, behind Blue Mountains.
— Much frequented. —Uncouth, inguiſitive Peo-
ple. Lexington. — Staunton. — Military Titles
very common in America. Cauſes tberegf.—

Wincheſter - — — page 220

LETTER XVIII.

Deſcription of the Paſſage of Patowmac and
Shenandoah Rivers through a Break in the Blue
Mountains. Same Obſervations on Mr. Feffer-
ſon's Account of the Scene.—Summary Account
of Maryland.—Arrroal at Philadelphia.—Re-
marks on the Climate of the United States.—
State of the City of Philadelphia during the
Heat of Summer. Diſſiculty of preſerving But-
ter, Milk, Meat, Fiſh, &c.—General Uſe of

FIR

CONTENTS. ate
Ire. the Wmids.—State of W eather” in
America depends greatly upon them - page 239

LETTER XIX.
Travelling in America without a Companion not
pleaſant.— Meet two Enghſh Gentlemen. — Set
out together for Canada.—Deſeription of the
Country bet ween Philadelphia and Neu York.”
—Briftol. — Trenton. — Princeton. — College
there Some Account f it. = Brunfwick.—
Pojaik Mater- fall. Copper Mine. Singular
Diſcovery there. New York.—Defeription
tbe City. — Character and Manners of the In-
habitants. Leave it abruptiy on Actount of toe
Fevers.— Paſſage up North River from New
York to Albany.—Great Benuty of the North
River. -e Point. — Highlands.—Gufts of
Wind common in paſſing them.— Albany. De-
ſeription of the City and Inhabitants. Celebru-
tion of the 4th of Fuly.— Anniverſary of Ame-
rican Independence © = page 256

LETTER XX.

Departure from Albany.—Difficulty of biring a
C arriage. Arrival at Cohoz.— Deſcription of
the curious Fall there of the Moba Rrver.—
Still-water —Saratoga.—Þew of the Works re-
maining there.—Simgular Mineral Springs near

— Saratoga. — Fort Edward — Miſi M Crea cru
2 elly murdered there by Indians. — Fort Ann,
— wretebed Road tbitber.— Some Obſervations on
of the American Wogds.— Horſes jaded —Diffi-

— | a 2 3 . (ey

: . rough.——Dreadfully infeſted by Muſquitees —

CONTENTS.
culiy of getting foruard.Arrive at Sleneſbo-

Particular Deſcription of that Inſect.— Great
Danger enſues ſometimes from their Bite.— Beſt
. Remedy r - page 274

CET TER XXL

Embark on Lake C hamplain,— Difficulty of pro-
curing Prouiſions at Farms bordermg upon it.
—Ticonderoga, —Crown. Point. — Great Beauty
of the Scenery, General Deſcription of Lake
Champlain and the. "adjacent Country.—Cap-
tain Thomas and bis Indians arrive at Crown
Point. — Character of Thomas. — Reach St.
| Fobn's.— Deſcription” of that Place. Great
Difference obſervable in the Face of the Coun-
try, Inhabitants, &c, in Canada and in the
States. — Chambly Caſile. — Calaſhes. — Buns
Dieux, —Town of La Prarie.— Great Rapi-
diy of the River Saint Lawrence.— Croſs
it to Montreal. — Aftoni/hment on ſceing large
Ships at Montreal. Great Depth of the Ri-
ver — — - = »- - page 288

LETTER XXII.

Deſcription of the Town of. Montreal.—Of the pub-
lic Buildings —Churches.—Funergl Ceremonies
a—Convents—Barracks.— Fortiſications. — In-
babitants moſtiy French. Their Character and
Manner. Charming Proſpects in the Neigb-
hour bond of the Town.— Amuſements during
Summer. Parties of Pleaſure up the Moun-
3 {ai =

CONTENTS. xi

tain.-Of the Fur Trade. — The Manner in
which it is carried on. — Great Enterpriſe of tbe
North Weſt Company of Merchants.—Sketch of
Mr. M*Kenzie's Expeditions aver Land to the +
Pacific Ocean. — Differences between the North
Meſt and Hudſon's Bay Companies - page zog

LETTER 1

Voyage to Quebec down the St. Lawrence. A
Bateau preferable to a Keel Boat. Town "of.
Sorelle. 8hip-building there. — Deſcription of
Lake St. Pierre. —Baliſcon.— Charming Scen-
ery along the Banks St. Lawrence. -In what
reſpetts1t dijjers from the Scenery along any other
River in America. Canadian Hauſes.—Sketch
of the Character and Manners of the lower
Claſſes of Canadians — Their Superſtition ,—
Anecdote.—St. Auguſtin Cafugire..m Arrive at

_ Nuebep = — A page 331

L ET T.E.R XXIV.

Situation of the City of Quebec. Divided into Up-
per and Lower Town.——Deſcription of each,—
Great Strength of the Upper Town.—Some Ob-
fſervations on the Capture of Quebec by the Eng-
liſb Army under General Wolfe. — Ob ſerua-
tions on Montgomery's and Arnold's Attack dur-
ing the. American War.-—Cenſus of Inhabitants
of Quebec.—The Chateau.—The Refidence of
the Governor. Monaſtery of the RecollefFs.—
College of the Jeſuits. One Feſuit remaining of
great Age. — His great Wealth. Hit Charatter.
' —Nun-

xxĩi CONTENTS.
—Nunneries —Engineer's Drawing Room.
State Houſe. — Armoury.— Barracks. — Mar-
et- place. Dogs uſed in Carts.— Grandeur of
the Proſpects from Parts of the Upper Town.—
Charming Scenery of the Environt.— Dęſcrip-
tion of Montmorenci Water Fall —Of La
Chaudiere Water Fall - page 341

LETTER XXV.

Of the Conftitution, Government, Laws, and Re-
ligion of the Provinces of. Upper and Lower Ca-
nada. Eſtimate of the Expences of the Croll
Lift, of the Military Eflablithment, and the

Preſents to the Indians. —Salaries of certain
Officers of the Crown.—Tmports and Exports, .
Taxes. - — 8232 page 361 p

LETTER XXVI.

Of the Soil and Productions of Lower Canada
Obſervations on the Manufacture of Sugar from
the Maple-tree —Of the Climate of Lower
Canada. — Amuſements of People of all De-
feriptions during Winter. — Carioles.— Manner
of guarding againſt the Cold. — Great Hardineſs
of the Horfes. —State of the River St. Law-
rence on the Diſſolution of Winter.— Rapid
Progreſs of Vegetation during Spring. —
Agreeableneſs of the Summer and Autumn
Seafons — — — — page 379

CONTENTS. - xi

LETTER XXVII.

Inhabitants of Lower C anada.—Of the Tenures |

by which Lands are beld.— Not favourable to
the Improvement of the Country,—Some Obſer-
vations thereon.— Advantages of ſettling in Ca-
nada and the United States compared. —I|Why

Emigrations to the latter Country are more ge-
neral.—Deſeription of a Tourney to Stonebam ©
Townſhip near Quebec. — Deſcription of the River

St. Charles. Lake St. Charles —Of Stone-
ham Townſhip, - * page 299

_ ar * 412
r WY}, REIT e
„ 1 — *'£ LETT —

LIST or PLAT Es.

—

-M AP of the NORTHERN STATES of Ame-
rica - - Page 1
Plan of the CITY of WASHINGTON - 81

MOUNT VERN ON, the Scar of General

| Waſhington < _ — * 06
American STAGE WAGGON — — 27
Vicwꝛ of the Ae ROCK er in Vir-
ginĩa - .

View on the HUDSON RIVER ” — 268

— View of the COHOZ FALL = - - 275

Map of Urerx and Lowes CANADA - 305
Plan of the CITY of QUEBEC - < = 342
View of CAPE DIAMOND, from Wolfe's Cove,
near Quebec - - _- 346
: CANADIAN CALASH or Wiener, boxe - 306

Vol. II. |
An Eye Sketch of the FALLS of NIAOARA 118

View of the HORSE SHOE FALL of NradARA 118

—— LWeſſer FALLS of NIAGARA 118
General View of the FALLS of NriacaRa = 121
View of BETHLEHEM, a Moravian Settlement

358

In ſome of the Impreſſions, by miſtake, called,“ View of the
Patowmac River from Mount Vernon.“ -

— —————_ RD

TRAVELS

«_ 6 AS —" * 1 LES) —— ks = LS”
9 ä I I 2 bs Rey * * 5 2 = 8 '
* R, N 0" A .

— — — —— ——'ò — —— EE.

*
— —

——

rr
Y.
C Ker

i 4 *
0 =
- 2... *
- —.— +, al n
| FE 32

_ — PHY APRON
» 88 ** oute ”
« | W/
y 1144
CY
* *
=
Havre
0
*

—— —

> L 9 * * TRE . Ea o wg Sl
10 \ Vea from — * 7513
l 8 4 _— — | 7s |
= x,
| | —
hundo 7
P l
| F A X * * *
0
| 3 | 0 f 2 4
H | 27 R A 7 = M N
| | S ö
T2900 Place tn which ' U LS Lion * © 1 .
Indian revideo - Orrvtian .
F * C K
| : . bk.
l (ren --
| -
if , * or Yar : 2 .
E e
7 | E oNrTA RIO | E W & * 3
. ä > | } LAX a ö AAM, IF
| 2 n | * N
1 ba. 7 DJ
V Vaparncr — — wy |
AAITU I 2
4 | C g 7 — * 3 p * — 3
ö - - % 0 * 0044 10
e p 12 — * — * N . 4 -
New d] .— . - * ' 7 Nur
—
| L N | .
. X. „ Kerl. _
; Ane pe {4 £ 0 4 R | A S L | Bocton
E Jana > & 5 8
# © |
: J 0 — 7 0
„ | (od
K * : | arustapl
; 6 af Bay
| _ . 4 n * = * —— 8 ; *
at Ts . hike img 1 CONNE ICUT 101 þ
—_ 7 / | Budfaloc Swamp g- . | Middleton, \ \ ah [2
* a. | _ E * - Tantucket 1
* r COT ITA Ling &: * 2 C * 2 C
8 . 1A 2 7
. Ie halo 4 1 4 — ,
& F \ D wr wr „ 0
— 9 0 or * - * - 1 * F
— 4 Ae : 2 wo * - p _ g 0
—— P - . . - arte p cv — — 1 * 1 , „
2er 89 A K I A Ree as 0
{ Fri - - hams Gnaden —* vont
{ * # * - \ . : n ” *
1 0 J T E. NF > N WH" ” — ; _— 8 * A 1.142 1 1
* — - pr * | 1
? Laland N -

— ——
— —

n egg

* Hf

—

/ PART
of the
UNITED STATES
OF
NORTH AMERICA.

-»

Men from Thiladetptde ,

|
|
/ |
PL
* Minlopmm
N oth .
0
* D =
* , f | 4 } |
mY
1 + 7.
=
.
% *
>
*
>»
: ve
hd
l
Henry
0
wg,
*
dar
— 1
hilt
:
lics
Sound * Hatteras

Scale of Miles 69 to a Negree * ,
= — 0 0
22 —— ——. 2 Ss
—— * — —
/ 4 A "4 8/0 West from London 4 TM
ongi W. Phi | 4 | 7 Long . nr by
X = _ L tude et from ladelphia 1 — — — . * — — — — n 2 1 . n L al * on = l . — 1 2 from Philadelphia 2 | eee.

KAS T

NORTH Caxot A

*
— ͤ— ß ——_—_—_—
—

anne

— — en
:
* {

— —Ü—ä—y— — — —

4 8
9 > \ —= MRS A. ">.

< o A o U * k
e ITC. 6% ReTy a «<Q * ꝶꝶ)ꝙw . BILE. eb eG nos tad af. eww.,,or as ns

TP.) F o

- 1 Fi

p "S _ *

1 * A V K. L 8

THROUGH THE. art or

NORTH AMERICA;

at.

—

5 LETTER I. 8
Arrival on the Coaſt of America. Trret the
firſt Object vifible. Deſcription of the Bay
and River of | Delaware.—Paſjengers bound
far Philadelphia not ſuffered to land fill e-
amined by the Health Officers: Arrival at
Philadelphia. — Poor Appearance of the "City.
from the Water: Plan of the: City.
Wharfs.—Public and private Buildings.
Some Account of the Ho ofpital, and of the 2

MY DEAR SIR, Philadelphia, November, 1795»

UR paſſage acroſs the Atlantic was diſ-
agreeable in the extreme. The wean

ther for the molt. part was bad, and calms
and heavy adverſe gales ſo frequently retarded
our progreſs to the / weſtward, that it 'was
not until the fifty-ninth, day from that og
which we left Ireland, that we: diſcovered-the
American coaſt. I ſhall not attempt to de-
ſcribe the joy which the ſight of land, a fight
Vol. I. B that

IK as ES ON U rn C2? F 1 Tw * nh Ty 0
* N. WP Fi Fi. FR TY 4 . _ * br *
a3 1 n e MT A". e l = CS N. *
FR 9 * 1 bo. l 1 = _ - - - 2 PRA f 5 =
N ;

/
46 ny TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

* #
-

that at once relieved the eye from the unin-

2 tereſting and weariſome view of ſky and water,
=_ and that afforded to each individual a ſpeedy
=_ proſpect of delivery from the narrow confines
2 of a ſmall trading veſſel, diffuſed amongſt the
3 paſſengers. You, who have yourſelf made
4 a long voyage, can beſt ; imagine what it muſt
8 have been.

The firſt objects which meet the eye on
approaching the American coaſt, ſouth of
NewYork;-are the tops of trees; with which
=_ the ſhore 1s thickly covered to the very edge
—_ of the water. Theſe, at a diſtance, have the

2 appearance of ſmall iſlands; but as you draw
e nearer they are ſeen to unite ; and the tall
= foreſt riſing gradually out of the ocean, at laſt
9 preſents itſelf in all its majeſty to your view.
=_ The land which we made was ſituated very
=_ near to the bay of Delaware, and before noon
N we paſſed between the capes Henlopen and
May, which guard the entrance of the bay.

The capes are only eighteen miles apart, but

within them the bay expands to the breadth

of thirty miles. It afterwards becomes gra-

1 dually narrower, until it is loſt in the river
2 of the fame name, at Bombay Hook, ſeven
=_ leagues diſtant from the Atlantic. The river
. 3 Delaware, at this place, is about ſix miles
. wide; at Reedy Ifland, twenty miles higher
4 up, it is three miles wide; and at Philadelphia,
A bac: one

SHokES OF THE DELAWARE.” 3
one hundred and twenty miles from the ſea, ,

one mile wide.
The ſhores of the bay and of the river De-

la ware, for a very conſiderable diſtanee up-
wards, are low; and they are covered, like

the coaſt, with one vaſt foreſt, excepting

merely in a few places, where extenſive mar-
ſhes intervene. N othing, however, could be
more pleaſing than the views with which we
were entertained as we ſailed up to Philadel-

phia. The trees had not yet quite loſt their

foliage, and the rich red and yellow tints which

autumn had ſuffuſed over the leaves of the
oaks and poplars appeared beautifully blended

with. the ſombre green of the lofty! pines;
whilſt the river, winding lowly and ſmoothly
along under the banks, reflected in its glaſſy
ſurface the varied colours of the objects on
ſhore, as well as the images of multitudes
of veſſels of various fizes, which, as far as
the eye could reach, wete ſeen gliding ſilently
along with the tide. As you approach to-
wards Philadelphia, the banks of the river be-
come more elevated; and on the leſt hand

ſide, where they are much cleared they are

interſperſed with numberleſs neat farm-houſes,
with villages and towns; and are in ſome
parts cultivated down to the very edge of the
water. The New Jerſey ſhore, on the right

B 2 hand

Ld SEALs Lo ra REC: -t nd.
A n — — A—Y 9 7 - l
_— fy 9 „ 4 11 LS ä

4 TRAVEES THROUGH" NORTH: AMERICA:

band ſide, remains thickly wooded, even ab far
as the city.

Veſſels very commonly afcend-to Philadel-
phia, when the wind is favourable, in twenty-
four hours; but unfortunately, as our ſhip en-
tered the river, the wind died away, and ſhe
had to depend ſolely upon the tide, which
flows at the rate of about three miles only in
the hour. Finding that the paſſage up to the
city was likely therefore to become tedious,
I would fain have gone on ſhore far below it;
but this the captain would not permit me to
do. By the laws of- Pennſylvania, enacted in
conſequence of the dreadful peſtilence which
raged in the capital in the year 1793, the
maſter of any veſſel bound for that port is made
ſubject to a very heavy fine, if he ſuffers any
perſon from on board her, whether mariner or
paſſenger, to go on ſhore in any part of the
ſtate, before his veſſel is examined by the

health officer: and any perſon that goes on

ſhore, contrary to the will of the maſter of the
veſſel, is liable to be impriſoned for a conſi-

derable length of time. In caſe the exiſtence
of this law ſhould not be known on board a

veſſel bound for a port in Pennſylvania, it is
the buſineſs of the pilot to furniſh the maſter
and the paſſengers on board with copies of it,
with which he always comes provided. The

health

PHILADELPHIA. / 5

health officer, whois a regular bred phyſician,
reſides at Mifflin Fort, four miles'below the
city, where there is a ſmall garriſon kept. A
boat is always ſent on ſhore for him from the
ſhip. After having been toſſed about on the
ocean for nine weeks nearly, nothing could be
more tantalizing than to be kept thus eloſe to
the ſhore without being permitted to land.
Philadelphia, as you approach by the river,
is not ſeen farther off than three miles, a point
of land covered with trees concealing it from
the view. On weathering this point it ſud-
denly opens upon you, and at that diſtance
it looks extremely well; but on a nearer ap-
proach, the city makes a poor appearance, as
nothing is viſible from the water but confuſed
heaps of wooden ſtorehouſes, crowded upon
each other, the chief of which are built upon
platforms of artificial ground, and wharfs
which project a conſidergble way into the river.
The wharfs are of a rectangular form, and
built of wood; they jut out in every direction,
and are well adapted for the accommodation
of ſhipping, the largeſt merchant veſſels being
able to lie cloſe alongſide them. Behind theſe
wharfs, and parallel to the river, runs Water
ſtreet. This is the firſt ſtreet which you uſu-
ally enter aſter landing, and it does not ſerve
to give a ſtranger a very favourable opinion
either of the neatneſs or commodiouſneſs of
= the

"lg =—_ RC _ — OS. "I FY Sz p rene "4
Po =. 1 1 N W 8 0 . * o 9 py
W | * 3 U FAST. > = L 4 ?

[ = us | ww. y
= SIT FLY.

6 TRAVELS THROUGH: NORTH AMERICA :

the public ways of Philadelphia. It is no
more than thirty feet wide; and immediately
behind the houſes, which ſtand on the ſide far-
. theſt from the water, a high bank, ſuppoſed
to be the old bank of the river, riſes, which
renders the air very confined. Added to this,
ſuch ſtenches at times prevail in it, owing in
part to the quantity of filth and dirt that is
ſuffered to remain on the pavement, and in
part to what is depoſited. in waſte, houſes, of
which there are ſeveral in the ſtreet, that it is
really dreadful to paſs through it. It was here
that the malignant yellow fever broke out in
the year 1793, which made ſuch terrible ra-

9 1 *
La 4.4 Ss he = 4 1 1 . *
F * enn
r ee

A %. tz %. 1 1 4 LAY — RR
e
5 = 1 J F * ys 2 = 1 * 7 wa

4 vages; and in the ſummer ſcaſon, in general,
1 the ſtreet is found extremely unhealthy. That
A the inhabitants, after ſuffering ſo much from
1 the ſickneſs that originated in it, ſhould re-
p in thus i | he cleanlineſs of Wa

* mai thus inattentive to the Cleanlinets ot Wa-

ter- ſtreet is truly ſurpriſing; more eſpecially
ſo, when it is conſidered, that the ſtreets in
the other parts of the town are as much diſtin-
guiſhed for the neatneſs that prevails through-

r ee WE. SRL
\ = 3 5 * * by = = ny 8 c £1 " = =>

| out them, as this one is for its dirty con-
q 4 1 |
1 On the level plot of ground on the top of
4 the bank which riſes behind Water- ſtreet, the

city of Philadelphia was originally laid out,
and it was intended by the founder that no

houſes ſhould have been erected at the bottom
of

EW J —f b by o
- " | S
l = : — —— —
1 6ꝓꝙꝓ— ——— we w OST EG ob Gd too . ͤ —w2ẽ— —
1

PHILADELPHIA "=

of it; however, as there was no poſitive law
to this effect, the convenience of the ſituation
ſoon tempted numbers to build there, and they
are now encroaching, annually, on the river;
by throwing wharfs : farther out into the
ſtream. In another reſpe& alſo the original
plan of the city was not adhered to. The
ground allotted for it was in the form of an
oblong ſquare, two miles in length, reaching
from the river Schuylkill to the Delaware, and
one mile in breadth. Purſuant to this ſcheme,
the houſes were begun on the Delaware fide ;
but inſtead of having been carried on towards
the Schuylkill, the current of building has kept
entirely on one ſide. The houſes extend for
two miles nearly along the Delaware, but, on
an average, not more than half a mile to-
wards the Schuylkill: this is to be attributed
to the great ſuperiority of the one river over
the other. All the houſes built beyond the
boundary line of the oblong ſquare are ſaid to
be in the Liberties, as the juriſdiction of
the corporation does not extend to that part
of the town. Here the ſtreets are very ir-
regularly built, but in the city they all in-
terſect each other at right angles, according
to the original plan. The principal ſtreet is
one hundred feet wide; the others vary from
eighty to fifty. They are all tolerably well
paved with pebble ſtones in the middle; and
B 4 on

= <= oo TRI A 1
* by 0 =; 8 _ =

N n „ P N ba l S.
FJ Sor . = v3 9 22 . — *

_
be. E

2
1

B TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

on each fide, for the convenience of paſſens

gers, there is a footway paved with red brick.

The houſes within the limits of the city are
for the moſt part built of brick; a few, and
a few only, are of wood. |

In the old parts of the town they are in
general fmall, heavy, and inconvenient ; but
amongft thoſe which have been lately erected,
many are to be found that are light, airy, and
commodious. In the whole city, however,
there are only 'two or three houſes that parti-
cularly attract the attention, on account of
their ſize and architecture, and but little beauty
is obſervable in the deſigns of any of theſe.
The moſt ſpacious and the moſt remarkable
one amongſt them ſtands in Cheſnut- ſtreet,
but it is not yet quite finiſhed. At preſent
it appears a huge maſs of red brick and pale
blue marble, which bids defiance to fimplicity
and elegance. This ſuperb manſion, according
to report, has already coſt upwards of fifty
thouſand guineas, and ſtands as a monument
of the increaſing luxury of the city of Phila-
delphia. | | |

As for the public buildings; they are all
heavy taſteleſs piles of red brick, ornamented

with the fame ſort of blue marble as that al-
ready mentioned, and which but ill accord

together, unleſs indeed we except the new
Bank of the United States, and the preſby-
2 | terian

PHILADELPHIA. 9
terian church in High- ſtreet. The latter
building is ornamented with a handſome por-
tico in front, ſupported by ſix pillars in the
Corinthian order; but it is ſeen to great diſad-
vantage on account of the market houſe, which
occupies the center of the ſtreet before it. The
buildings next to theſe, that are moſt deſerving
of notice, are the State Houſe, the Prefident's
Houſe, the Hoſpital, the Bettering Houſe, and
the Gaol.

The State Houſe is ſituated in Cheſiur-
ſtreet ; and, conſidering that no more than
fifty- three years elapſed from the time the
firſt cabin was built on the ſpot marked out
for the city, until it was erected, the archi-
tecture calls forth both our ſurpriſe and ad-
miration. The State Houſe is appropriated
to the uſe of the legiſlative bodies of the ſtate.
Attached to this edifice are the congreſs and
the city-halls. In the former, the congreſs
of the United States meets to tranſact bu-
ſineſs. The room allotted to 'the repreſen-
tatives of the lower houſe is about fixty feet
in length, and fitted up in the plaineſt manner.
At one end of it is a gallery, open to every
perſon that chuſes to enter it; the ſtair-caſe
leading to which runs directly from the pub-
lic ſtreet. The ſenate chamber is in the
ſtory above this, and it is furniſhed and fitted
up in a much ſuperior ſtyle to that of the

lower

—

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

20
lower houſe. In the city hall the courts of

juſtice are held, the ſupreme court of the

United States, as well as that of the ſtate of
Pennſylvania, and thoſe of the city.

The preſident's houſe, as it is called, was
erected for the reſidence of the preſident, before
the removal of the ſeat of the federal govern-
ment from Philadelphia was agitated. The
original plan of this building was drawn by a
private gentleman, reſident in the neighbour-
hood of Philadelphia, and was poſſeſſcd, it is
ſaid, of no ſmall ſhare of merit; but the com-
mittee of citizens, that was appointed to take
the plan into conſideration, and to direct the
building, conceiving that it could be im-
proved upon, reverſed the poſitions of the up-
per and lower ſtories, placing the latter at top,
ſo that tlie pilaſters, with which it is orna-
mented, appear ſuſpended in the air. The
committee alſo contrived, that the windows of
the principal apartments, inſtead of opening
into a ſpacious area in front of the houſe, as
was deſigned at firſt, ſnould face towards the
confined back yards of the adjoining houſes.
This building is not yet finithed, and as the
removal of the ſeat of government to the fe-
deral city of Waſhington is ſo ſhortly to take
place, it is moſt probable that it will never
be occupied by the preſident. To what pur-

__ it will be now applied is yet undeter-
| mined.

Pp HII A D.ESERHRIA 1

mined. Some imagine, that it will be con-
verted into a city hotel; others, that it will be
deſtined for the reſidence of the governor of
the ſtate. For the latter purpoſe, it would be
unht in the extreme, the ſalary of the governor
being ſo inconſiderable, that it would not en-
able him to keep up an eſtabliſhment ſuitable
to a dwelling of one-fourth part the ſize of
it, |

The hoſpital; for its airineſs, for its conve-
nient accommodation for the ſick and infirm,
and for the neatneſs exhibited throughout
every part of it, cannot be ſurpaſſed by any
inſtitution of the kind in the world. The
plan of the building is in the form of the;let-
ter H. At preſent but one wing and a part
of the center are finiſhed ; but the reſt of the
building is in a ſtate of forwardneſs. It 1s two
ſtories high, and underneath. the whole are
cells for lunatics. Perſons labouring under
any diſorder of body or mind are received. into

this hoſpital, excepting ſuch as have diſeaſes

that are contagious, and of a malignant na-
ture ; ſuch patients, however, have the advice
of the attending phy ſicians gratis, and are ſup-
plied with medicine from the 7 diſ-
penſary.

The productive ſtock of this hoſpital, in nthe
year 1793, was eſtimated. {.+7,065 currency;
beſides which there are eſtates. belonging to ãt

that

1 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:
that as yet produce nothing. The fame year,
the legiſlature granted . 10,000 for enlarging
the building, and adding thereto a Lying-in
and Foundling hoſpital. The annual private
donations are very conſiderable. Thoſe that
contribute a certain ſum have the power of
electing the directors, who are twelve in num-
ber, and choſen yearly. The directors appoint
fix of the moſt ſkilful ſurgeons and phyſicians
in the city to attend; there is alſo a ſurgeon
and apothecary reſident in the houſe. From
the year 17 56, when it was built, to the year
1793 incluſive, nearly 9,000 patients were ad-
mitted into this hoſpital, upwards of 6, ooo
of whom were relieved or cured. The hoſ-
pital ſtands within the limits of the city, but
it is more than a quarter of a mile removed
from any of the other buildings. There are
ſpacious walks within the incloſure for ſuch
of the patients as are in a ſtate of convale-
ſcence.

The Bettering Houſe, which is under the
care of the overſeers of the poor, ſtands in the
fame neighbourhood, ſomewhat farther re-
moved from the houſes of the city. It is a
ſpacious building of brick, with extenſive
walks and gardens. The poor of the city and
neighbourhood are here furniſhed with em-
ployment, and comfortably lodged and dieted.

During the ſeverity of the winter ſeaſon, many
aged

„„

PHILADELPHIA. 7 ug

aged and reduced perſons ſeek refuge in this
place, and leave it again on the return of
ſpring. Whilſt they ſtay there, they are un-
der very little reſtraint, and go in and out when
they pleaſe ; they muſt, however, behave or-
derly. This inſtitution 1s 2 by a tax
on the town.- |
The gaol is a ſpacious building of common
ſtone, one hundred feet in front. It is fitted
up with ſolitary cells, on the new plan, and
the apartments are all arched, to prevent the
communication of fire. Behind the building
are extenſive yards, which are ſecured. by lofty -
walls. This gaol is better regulated, perhaps,
than any other on the face of the globe. By the
new penal laws of Pennſylvania, lately enacted, '
no crime is puniſhable with death, excepting
murder of the firſt degree, by which is meant,
murder that is perpetrated by wilful preme-
ditated intention, or in attempts to commit
rape, robbery, or the like. Every other of-
fence, according to its enormity, is puniſhed
by ſolitary impriſonment of a determined du-
ration, Objections may be made to this mode
of puniſhment, as not being ſufficiently ſevere
on the individual to atone for an atrocious
crime; nor capable, becauſe not inflicted in
public, of deterring evil- minded perſons in the
community from the commiſſion of offences
which incur the rigour of the law; but on 4
cloſe

—

hs my w_ 8
Or N
* - — 0 * * = —
— n —
_ — - — 5 22 — — = — — * —
— 1 — — "= : — — — . — —
— - a — * a —
. — —— — ————— * * L.A A T ——
7 — -

Le 8

©. % F< 1

—— — — 2
4 =

14 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

cloſe examination, it will be found-to be very:
ſevere; and as far as an opinion can be formed
from the trial that has been hitherto made by
the ſtate of Pennſylvania, it ſeems better cal-
culated to reſtrain the exceſſes of the people
than any other. If any public puniſhment
could ſtrike terror into the la wleſs part of the
multitude, it is as likely that the infliction of
death would do it as any whatſbever : but
death is diveſted of many of his terrors, after
being often preſented to our view; ſo that
we find in countries, ſor inſtance in England,

where it occurs often as puniſhment, the ſa-

lutary effects that might be expected from it
are in a great meaſure loſt. The unfortunate
wretch, who is doomed to forfeit his life in
expiation of the crimes.he has committed, in
numberleſs inſtances, looks forward with ap-
parent unconcern to the moment in which he
is to be launched into eternity; his compa-
nions around him only condole with him, be-
cauſe his career of iniquity has ſo ſuddenly
been impeded by the courſe of juſtice: or, if
he is not too much hardened in the paths of
vice, but falls a prey to remorſe, and ſees all
the horrors of his impending fate, they endea-
vour to rally his broken ſpirits by the con-
ſoling remembrance, that the pangs he has to
endure are but the pangs of a moment, which
they illuſtrate by the ſpeedy exit of one whoſe
death

Cd u_ 5 LES

PHILADELPHIA gi

death he was perhaps himſelf witneſs to but
a few weeks before. A month does not paſs
over in England without repeated executions ;
and there is ſcarcely a vagabond to be met
with in the country, who has ſeen a fellow
creature ſuſpended from the gallo ws. We all
know what little good effect ſuch ſpectacles
produce. But immured in darkneſs and ſo-
litude, the priſoner ſuffers pangs worſe than
death a hundred times in the day: he is left
to his on bitter reflections; there is no one
thing to divert his attention, and he endeavours
in vain to eſcape from the horrors which con-
tinually haunt his imagination. In ſuch a ſitua-
tion the moſt hardened oftender is ſoon re-
duced to a ſtate of repentance.

But puniſhment by impriſonment, 3
to the laws of Pennſylvania, is impoſed, not
only as an expiation of paſt offences, and an
example to the guilty part of - ſociety, © but
for another purpoſe, regarded by few penal
codes in the world, the reform of the criminal:
The regulations of the gaol, are calculated to
promote this effect as ſoon as poſſible, ſo that
the building, indeed, deſerves the name of
a penitentiary houſe more than that of a gaol.
As ſoon as a criminal is committed to the pri-
ſon he is made to waſh; his hair is ſhorn, and
if not decently clothed, he is furniſhed with
clean apparel ; then he is thrown into a ſo-

—

* * "= I CR 4 = TH CAL RRC by 3 * 1 1 1 1 eee _ = =
= N — l 9 "ST. ; i NEE — 8 N Pi OT WIE * LCD ——_— * «5 , *
» a % 7 —_— * N FR 1 „ „ „„ poll — . = Tan * 1 ' lb 9
N : Fl —_ 3 © F N I 8 >. ei =" 0 A 9 p PL I
4 1 ; - IDS 7 MEE OO =
— bo © 1 s | RET
* My 8 ö * — — 2 PE —
* — * — . __— WV m1
— — - wane * ä
— S TOE YT ESE SIT ,ͤrÄ;ĩ1Ü ˙wt
— —
-
9
*
. '
1 -

« - 0
— —
9

— 22
; *
— ww

16, TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

litary cell, about nine feet long and four wide,
where he remains debarred from the fight of
every living being excepting his.gaoler, whoſe
duty it is to attend to the bare neceſſities of
his nature, but who is forbidden, on any ac-
count, to ſpeak to him without there is ab-
ſolute occaſion. If a priſoner is at all refrac-
tory, or if the offence for which he is impri-
ſoned is of a very atrocious nature, he is then
confined in a cell ſecluded even from the light
of heaven. This is the worſt that can be in-
flicted upon him.

The gaol is inſpected twice every week hy
twelve perſons appointed for that purpoſe,
who are choſen annually from amongſt the
citizens of Philadelphia. Nor is it a difficult

matter to procure theſe men, who readily and

voluntarily take it. upon them to go through
the troubleſome functions of the office with-
out any fee or emolument whatever. They
divide themſelves into committees; each of
theſe takes it in turn, for a ſtated period, to
viſit every part of the priſon ; and a report is
made to the inſpectors at large, who meet to-
gether at times regularly appointed. From
the report of the committee an opinion is
formed by the inſpectors, Who, with the con-
ſent of the judges, regulate the treatment of
each individual priſoner during his confine»

ment. This is varied according to his crime,
| and

PHILADELPHIA, 17

and according to his ſubſequent repentance.
Solitary confinement in a dark cell is looked
upon as the ſevereſt uſage; next, ſolitary con-
finement in a cell with the admiſſion of light;
next, confinement in a cell where the priſoner
is allowed to do ſome ſort of work; laſtly,
labour in company with others. The pri-
ſoners are obliged to bathe twice every week,
proper conveniencies for that purpoſe being

provided within the walls of the priſon, and

alſo to change their linen, with which they
are regularly provided. Thoſe in ſolitary
confinement are kept upon bread and water;
but thoſe who labour are allowed broth, por-
ridge, puddings, and the like: meat is diſ-

penſed only in ſmall quantities, twice in the

week. Their drink is water; on no pretence
is any other beverage ſuffered to be brought
into the priſon. This diet is found, by ex-
perience, to afford the priſoners ſtrength ſuffi -
cient to perform the labour that is impoſed
upon them; whereas a more generous one
would only ſerve to render their minds leſs
humble and ſubmiſſive. Thoſe who labour,
are employed in the particular trade to Which
they have been accuſtomed, provided it can
be carried on in the priſon ; if not acquainted
with any, ſomething is ſoon found that they
can do. One room is ſet apart for ſhoe-
makers, another for taylors, à third for car-

Vor. I. 9 penters,

o
: = mou > _ : „ '
* _— 1 —
* — a W- 8 WRT. + k „ — „ Ab = r
* i 6 1 Een LS MDT - —

-— — -

- — —

— — 2 —

—

* * ww
Y 1 R — 2
E
-

IE 2 = Ke: _ 21

CH CS =
— — — es. — ee — <a ＋ — —

<4.

ud
CL
— —

— —
*

18 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTE AMERICA «|

penters, and ſo on; and in the yards are ſtone-

cutters, ſmiths, nailers, &c: &c. |
Excepting the cells, which are at a remote
part of the building, the priſon has the ap-
pearance of a large manufactory. Good order
and decency prevail throughout, and the eye of
a ſpectator is never aſſailed by the ſight of ſuch
ghaſtly and ſqualid figures as are continually to
be met with in our priſons; ſo far, alſo, is a
viſitor from being inſulted, that he is ſcarcely
noticed as he paſſes through the different wards.
The priſoners are forbidden to ſpeak to each
other without there is neceſſity; they are alſo
forbidden to laugh, or to ſing, or to make the
ſmalleſt diſturbance. An overſeer attends
continually to ſee that every one performs his
work diligently ; and in caſe of the ſmalleſt
reſiſtance to any of the regulations, the offender
is immediately caſt into a ſolitary cell, to ſub-
fiſt on bread and water till he returns to a
proper ſenſe of his behaviour ; but the dread
all thoſe have of this treatment, who have
once experienced it, is ſuch, that it is feldom
found neceflary to repeat it. The women
are kept totally apart from the men, and are
employed in a manner ſuitable to their ſex.
The labourers all eat together in one large
apartment; and regularly, every Sunday, there
is divine ſervice, at which all attend. It is
the duty of the chaplain to converſe at times
4 with

PHILADELPHIA. 19
with the priſoners, and endeavour to reform
their minds and principles, - The inſpectors,
when they viſit the priſon, alſo do the ſame z
ſo that when a prifoner is liberated, he goes
out, as it were, a new man; he has been ha-
bituated to employment, and has received good
inſtructions. The greateſt care is alſo taken
to find him employment the moment he
quits the place of his confinement. Accord-
ing to the regulations, no perſon is allowed
to vifit the priſon without permiſſion of the
inſpectors. The greateſt care is alſo taken
to preſerve the health of the priſoners, and
for thoſe who are ſick there are proper apart-
ments and good advice provided. The longeſt
period of confinement is for a rape, which
is not to be leſs than ten years, but not to
exceed twenty-one. For high treaſon, the
length of confinement is not to be leſs than
ſix nor more than twelye years. There are
priſons 1 in every county throughout Pennſyl-
vania, but none as yet are eſtabliſhed on the
ſame plan as that which has been deſcribed.
Criminals are frequently ſent from other parts
of the ſtate to receive eee in the pris
ſon of Philadelphia. L

So well is. this gao! conducted, that inſtead
of being an expenſe, it now annually pro-
duces a conſiderable revenue to the ſtate,

C24

20 TRAVELS THROUGH. NORTH AMERICA :

LETTER II.

Population of Philadelphia. — Same Account of
the Inhabitants, their Character and Man-
ners— Private Amuſements. — Americans loſe
their Teeth prematurely.— Theatrical Amuſe-
ments only permitted of Iate—2uakers.—

Places of public Worſhip.— Carriages, what

ert of, uſed in Philadelþhia.—T averns, how
conducted in America. — Diſſiculty of procure
mg Scrvants.— Character of the lower Claſſes
of” People in America.

MY DEAR SIR, Philadelphia, November.

DHILADELPHIA, according to the cenſus
taken in the Year 1790, contained 42,000
people. From the natural increaſe, however,
of population, and the influx of ſtrangers, the
number is ſuppoſed now jto be near. po, ooo,
notwithſtanding the ravages of the. yellow
fever in 1793, which ſwept off 4,000 people,
The inhabitants conſiſt of Engliſh, Iriſh,
Scotch, Germans, French, and of American
born citizens, deſcended from people of theſe
different nations, who are of courſe by far the
moſt numerous claſs. The inhabitants. are
for the moſt part engaged in ſome ſort of
buſineſs ;' a few, and a few only, live with-

out

en..

— 8 -4
5 —
——_—

_ .
———

1 —
1

„
22

PHILADELPHIA = 5

out any oſtenſible profeſſions, on the fortunes

which they themſelves have raiſed ; but theſe

men are not idle or inattentive to the increaſe
of their property, being ever on the watch to
profit by the ſale of lands, which they have
purchaſed, and to buy more on advantageous

terms. It would be a difficult matter to find a

man of any property in the country, who is not
concerned in the buying or ſelling of land,
which may be confidered in America as an
article of trade.

In a large city, like Philadelphia, where
people are aſſembled together from ſo many
different quarters, there cannot fail to be a
great diverſity in the manners of the inhabi-
tants. It is a remark, however, very generally
made, not only by foreigners, but alſo by per-
ſons from other parts of the United States,
that the Philadelphians are extremely defi-
cient in hoſpitality and politeneſs towards
ſtrangers. Amongſt the uppermoſt circles in
Philadelphia, pride, haughtineſs, and oſtenta-
tion are conſpicuous ; and it ſeems as if nothing

could make them happier than that an order

of nobility ſhould be eſtabliſhed, by which

they might be exalted above their fellow ci-

tizens, as much as they are in their own con-
ceit. In the manners of the people in general
there is a coldneſs and reſerve, as if they were
. of ſome deſigns againſt them, which

C 3 chills

22 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

chills to the very heart thoſe who come ta
viſit them. In their private ſocieties a triſteſſe
is apparent, near which mirth and gaiety can
never approach. It is no unuſual thing, in the
genteeleſt houſes, to ſee a largo party of from
twenty to thirty perſons aſſembled, and ſeated
round a room, without partaking of any other
amuſement than what ariſes f rom the conver-
ſation, moſt frequently in whiſpers, that paſſes
between the two perſons who are ſeated next
to each other. The party meets between fix
and ſeven in the evening ; tea is ſerved with
much form; and at ten, by which time moſt
of the company are wearied with having re-

| mained ſo long ſtationary, they return to their
4 own homes. Still, however, they are not
1 ſtrangers to mulic, cards, or dancing; their
5 ; knowledge of muſic, indeed, is at a very low

ebb; but in dancing, which appears to be their
moſt favourite - amuſement, they certainly
excel.
The women, in general, whilſt young, are
yery pretty, but by the time they become mo-
thers of alittle family they loſe all their beauty,
their complexions fade away, their teeth begin
to decay, and they hardly appear like the ſame
creatures. In a few inſtances only it would be
poſſible to find a fine woman of the age of
forty, who bas had a large family. The ſud-
den decay of the teeth is a circumſlance which
ba | | has

PHILADELPHIA 23

has engaged the attention of the faculty; both
men and women, American born, loſing them
very generally at an early age. Some aſcribe

it to the great and ſudden changes in the wea-

ther, from heat to cold; but negroes, who are
expoſed to the ſame tranſition of climate, dare
diſtinguiſhed for the whiteneſs and beauty of
their teeth; and the Indians alſo, who are
more expoſed than either, preſerve their teeth
in good order. Others attribute it to the im-
moderate uſe of confectionary. Of eonfection-
ary, the Americans in the towns. certainly
make an inordinate uſe ; but-in the country;
where the people have not an opportunity of
getting ſuch things, the men, but more ge-
nerally the women, alſo loſe their teeth very
prematurely. Moſt probably it is owing to
the very general uſe they make of ſalted pro-
viſions. In the country parts of America in
particular, the people live upon falted pork and
lalted fiſh nearly the whole year round.

It is only within a few. years paſt, ſince
1779, that any public amuſements have been
ſuffered in this city; the old corporation,
which conſiſted moſtly of the Quakers, and
not of the moſt liberal minded people in the
city, having always oppoſed the eſtabliſhment
of any place for the purpoſe, Now, however,
there are two theatres: and an amphitheatre.
Little or no uſe is made of the old theatre,
| C 4 | which

74 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :
which is of wood, and-a very indifferent build=

ing. The new one is built of brick, and

neatly fitted up within ; but it is hardly large
enough for the town. A ſhocking cuſtom
obtains here, of ſmoking tobacco in the houſe,
which at times is carried to ſuch an exceſs,
that thoſe to whom it is diſagreeable are
under the neceſſity of going away. To the
people in the pit, wine and porter is brought
between the acts, preciſely as if they were
in a tavern. The actors are procured, with
a very few- exceptions, from Great Britain
and Ireland; none of them are very emi-
nent performers, but they are equal to what
are uſually met with in the country towns
of England. The amphitheatre is built of
wood; equeſtrian and other exerciſes are per-
formed there, ſimilar to thoſe at Aſtley's.
Dancing aſſemblies are held regularly every
fortnight through the winter, and occaſionally
there are public concerts.

During ſummer, the people that can make
it convenient retire to country houſes in the
neighbourhood of the town, and all public
and private amuſements ceaſe; winter is the
ſeaſon for them, the Congreſs being then aſ-
ſembled, and trade not being fo cloſely at-
tended to, as the navigation of the river is then
commonly impeded by ice.

The preſident finds it neceſſary, in general,

PHILADELPHIA, XX. ol

to come ta Philadelphia preparatory to the
meeting of congreſs, and reſides there during
the whole of the ſeſſion. Once in the week,
during his ſtay in the city, he has levees; be-
tween the hours of three and four in the af-
ternoon. At theſe he always appears himſelf
in a court dreſs, and it is expected that the
foreign miniſters ſhould always attend in the
ſame ſtyle; this they conſtantly do, excepting
the French miniſter, who makes a point of
going in diſhabille, not to ſay worſe of it.
Other perſons are at liberty to go as they think
proper. Mrs. Waſhington, alſo, has a draw-
ing room once every week. On this occafion
the ladies are ſeated in great form round the
apartment, and tea, coffee, &c. ſerved &.
Philadelphia is the grand reſidence of the
Quakers in America, but their number does

not bear the ſame proportion now to that of

the other citizens which it did formerly. At
preſent they form about one fourth only of the
inhabitants. This does not ariſe from any di-
minution of the number of Quakers, on the

contrary they have conſiderably increaſed, but

Whether the levee is kept up by the preſent prefident, or
not, I have not heard. Many objections were made, to it by
the democratic party during the adminiſtration of General
Waſhington, as being inconſiſtent with the ſpirit ofa republican
government, and deſtructive of that equality which ought to
zcizn amongſt the citizens of every Claſs, |

from

— - —
3
— WL. ©... =»

* e — 4
— © -—
> 7 *
n_ — — —
ON
=

s TRAVELS, THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:
from the great influx into the city of perſons

of a different perſuaſion. Belonging to the
Quakers there are five places for public wor-
ſhip; to the Preſbyterians and Seceders fix;
to the Engliſh Epiſcopalians three; to Ger-
man Lutherans two; to the Roman Catholics
four; and one reſpectively to the Swediſh
Lutherans, Moravians, Baptiſts, Univerſal
Baptiſts, Methodiſts, and Jews. On a Sun-
day every citizen appears well dreſſed; the
lower claſſes of the people in particular are
remarkably well clothed. This is a great
day alſo for little excurſions into the coun»
try. 3 8

The carriages made uſe of in Philadelphia
conſiſt of coaches, chariots, chaiſes, coachees,
and light waggons, the greater part of which
are built in Philadelphia. The equipages of a
few individuals are extremely oſtentatious;

nor does there appear in any that neatneſs

and elegance which might be expected
amongſt a ſet of people that are deſirous of
imitating the faſhions of England, and that
are continually getting models over from that

country. The coachee is a carriage peculiar,

I believe, to America; the body of it is rather
longer than that of a coach, but of the ſame
ſhape. In the front it is left quite open down

to the bottom, and the driver fits on a bench
under the roof of the carriage. There are

twWo

— * — 3 WY / dns dr aur. wo > io, tv... * 6 RP IE —
ö — — — — * — — 8

— — —
—— __ _

TG Pre

SE 57 ON

Le e
lt sf
\ * 2

1185 Wy

"1, m "tt

= 0
e
ane

7 4,

\ 4 2% i, ue
8 N 7
F

.. *

rh
r

—_—
—

2 w_ 2

—

—
7
—

—

wii
A

- 8 8

AMERICAN!

*
\ 8 343)
Was 4 1
Mic
NW

\\\
N.

*
1
*

| $94111444
Mai

Oren ety 1 414
W Rk
* 1

11141091

a $0 SIT
0 8 £1 *

Wilt

r Fl
15 —
.

Le.

—

x"
22

—

VE"

— 1
2
*
5
2

ICAN STAGE WAGGON.

ed Dec. 21-1799, by 1 Stookdlals, Procadelly .

— — —— —
W A...
1 K "Ty = 2 1 ö YE l * 5 N |
rt ” Lally E nr Mk 1 1
*
o
P
| >
| [
= |
| 4
*
\ |
bo CY
* 6
a * | |
h Es. n | |
& V | |
71 |
VL | |
i | | | |
0 :
6
N % {©
bs 2 * 1
— * | | | |
- b
—— 1 # 2 * TTY OR W 2 x 2s. Rat WA 41 3 WM. *
o * = 1 # 4 bl \ 8 8
1 1 q \ \ \ ** * A, — 2 Wo CI
o : |
| LI" — i ; g
w | | 5 |
* 8 * = c id | | | |
* 6 [ES = oy - =; 2 i
1 PRE * n
| Ps F 11
. | |

PHILADELPHIA. I

twg ha; in ĩt for the paſſengers, * Gt with
their faces towards the horſes. The roof i =
ſupported by ſmall props, which are placed at
the corners. On cach ſide of the doors,
above the pannels, it is quite open, and to
guard againſt bad weather there are Curtains,

which-are made to let down, from the roof, and
faſten to buttons placed for the purpoſe. on the
outſide. There is alſo a: leathern curtain to
hang occaſionally dea the driver. and
ba AS

The light Waggons are on che ame con
ſtruction, and are calculated to accommbdate
from four to twelve people. The only dif-
ference between a ſmall waggon and a coachee
is, that the latter is better finiſhed, has var-
niſhed pannels, and doors at the ſide. The
former has no doors, but the - paſſengers
ſcramble in the beſt way they can, over the
ſeat of the driver. The waggons are uſed uni-
verfally for ſtage carriages. |

The accommodations at the taverns, by
which name they call all inns, &c. are very
indifferent in Philadelphia, as indeed they are,
with a very few exceptions, throughout the
country. The mode of conducting them is
nearly the ſame every where. The traveller
is ſhewn, on arrival, into a room which i
common to every perſon in the houſe, and

which is generally the one ſet apart for
| breakfaſt,

„ TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA z

breakfaſt, dinner, and ſupper. All the ſtrangers
that happen to be in the houſe fit down to
theſe meals promiſcuouſly, and, excepting in
the large towns, the family of the houſe alſo
forms a part of the company. It is ſeldom
that a private parlour or drawing room can be
procured at any of the taverns, even in the
towns; and it is always with reluctance that
breakfaſt or dinner is ſerved up ſeparately to
any individual. If a ſingle bed room can be
procured, more ought not to be looked for;
but it is not always that even this is to be
had, and thoſe who travel through the coun-
try muſt often ſubmit to be crammed into
rooms where there is ſcarcely ſufficient ſpace
to walk between the beds.“ Strangers who
remain for any length of time in the large
towns moſt uſually go to private boarding
houſes, of which great numbers are to be met
with. It is always a difficult matter to pro-
cure furniſhed lodgings without paying for
board.

Having ftopped one night at Elkton, on my journey to
Baltimore in the public carriage, my firſt enquiries from the
Endlord, on alighting, as there were many paſſengers in the
tage, were to know what accommodation his houſe afforded,
He ſeemed much ſurprized that any enquiries ſhould be made
en ſuch a ſubj ct, and with much conſequence told me, I need
dot give myſelf any trouble about the extent of his accommo-

dations, as he had na leſs than eleven beds in ane of his rooms.
At

r HI LADELPHI A. 29

At all the taverns, both in town and coun-
try, but particularly in the latter, the attend
ance is very, bad; indeed, excepting in the
ſouthern ſtates, where there are ſuch great
numbers of negroes, it is a matter of the utmoſt
difficulty to procure domeſtic ſervants of any
deſcription. The generality. of ſervants; that
are met with in Philadelphia are emigrant
Europeans; they, however, for the moſt part,
only remain in ſervice until they can ſave a
little money, when they conſtantly quit their
maſters, being led to do ſo by that deſire for
independence which is ſo natural to the mind
of man, and which every perſon in America
may enjoy that will be induſtrious. The few
that remain ſteady to thoſe Who have hired
them are retained at molt exorbitant wages.
As for the Americans, none but thoſe of the
molt indifferent characters ever enter into ſer-
vice, which they conſider, as ſuitable only to
negroes; the negroes again, in Pennſylvania
and in the other ſtates where ſteps have been
taken for the gradual abolition of ſlavery, are
taught by the Quakers to look upon them-
ſelves in every reſpect as equal to their White
brethren, and they endeavour to imitate them
by being ſaucy. It is the ſame both with males
and females. I mult here obſerve, that amongſt
the generality of the lower ſort of people in
the United States, and particularly amongſt

thoſe '

eee RT = oY RE YI NNR'Y AY © -

* o = _ 5 = [CT = —_— N

_ =o» 1-4. 7 ; TH ——_— —

PT es Lees Jr ä 3

= Law I 8 LOTT. 4
es
* 1.5 YG \ hb ©

— OE "ONE

% TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

thoſe of Philadelphia, there is a want of good
manners which excites the ſurprize of almoſt
every foreigner ; I wiſh alſo that it may not
be thought that this remark has been made,
merely becauſe the ſame deference and the
ſame reſpectful attention, which we fſce tb
commonly paid by the lower orders of people
in Great Britain and Ireland to thoſe who are

in à fituation ſomewhat ſuperior to them-

ſelves, is not alſo paid in America to perſons
in the ſame ſtation 3 it is the want of com
mon civility I complain of, which it is always
deſirable to behold between man and man, let
their ſituations in life be what they may, and
which is not contrary to the dictates of na-
ture, or to the ſpirit of genuine liberty, as it
is obſervable in the behaviour of the wild
Indians that wander through the foreſts of this
vaſt continent, the moſt free and independent
of all human beings. In the United States,
however, the lower claſſes of people will re-
turn rude and impertinent anſwers to queſtions
couched in the moſt civil terms, and will infalt
a perſon that bears the appearance of a gen-
tleman, on purpoſe to ſhew how much they
conſider themſelves upon an equality with
him. Civility cannot be purchaſed from them
un any terms; they ſeem to think that it is
incompatible with freedom, and that there is
no other way of convincing a ftranger that he
HEL, is

JOURNEY TO BALTIMORE.

45 really in a land of liberty, but by being —
and ill mannered in his preſence. IG

LETTER IT

Journey te Baltimore. — Deſcription of the Caun-
try about. Pbiladelphia. Floating Bridget
over the Schuylkill, how conſtructed. Mills in
Brandy-wihe Cree. Improvement in tbe
Machinery of Flour | Mills in America.
Town, of Wilmington, — Log Houſes.— Bad
Roads. Fine Preſpecta.— How reliſhed by .

Americans. Taverns.— Suſquehannab Ri-
ver.— Town of Baltimore. Plan of the
Town. — Harbour. — Public and private
Buildings. — Inhabitants.— Country between
Baltimore and Waſhington, —Execrable Roads.

MY DEAR SIR, _ Waſhington, November,
N the 16th of November I left Philadel-
phia for Baltimore, 'The only mode of
conveyance which offers for a traveller, whe
is not provided with his own horſes or car-
riage, is the public ſtage waggon ; it is poſ-
ſible, indeed, to procure a private carnage at
Philadelphia to go on to Baltimore, for which
a great price is always demanded ; but there
is no ſuch thing as hiring a carriage or horſes
from ſtage to ſtage. The country about Phi-
ladelphia is well cultivated, and it abounds with
neat

a+ TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

neat country houſes; but it has a bare appears
ance, being almoſt totally ſtripped of the trees,
which have been cut down without mercy
for firing, and to make way for the plough ;
neither are there any hedges, an-idea prevail-
ing that they impoveriſh the land wherever
they are planted. The fences are all of the

common poſt and rail, or of the angular kind.

Theſe laſt are made of rails about eight or
nine feet long, roughly ſplit out of trees, and
placed horizontally above one another, as the
bars of a gate; but each tier of rails, or gate as
it were, inſtead of being on a ſtraight line with
the one next to it, is put in a different di-

rection, ſo as to form an angle ſufficient to per-

mit the ends of the rails of one tier to reſt
ſteadily on thoſe of the next. As theſe fences,
from their ſerpentine courſe, occupy at leaſt
ſix times as much ground as a common poſt
and rail fence, and require alſo a great deal
more wood, they are moſtly laid aſide whenever
land and timber become objects of importance,
as they ſoon do in the neighbourhood of large
towns.

The road to Baltimore is over the loweſt of
three floating bridges, which have been thrown
acroſs the river Schuylkill, in the neighbour-
hood of Philadelphia. The view on paſſing
this river, which is about two hundred and

fifty yards wide, is beautiful. The banks on
each

-” - es

FLOATING BRIDGES. 33

each fide are high; and for many miles above
afford the moſt delightful ſituations for villas,
A very elegant one, laid out in the Engliſh
taſte, is ſeen on paſſing the river juſt above the
bridge. Adjoining to it are public gardens,
anda houſeof entertainment, with ſeveral good
rooms, to which the citizens of Philadelphia
reſort in great numbers during the ſummer
ſeaſon.

The floating bridges are formed of large
trees, which are placed in the water tranſ-
verſely, and chained together ; beams are then
laid lengthways upon theſe, and the whole
boarded over, to render the way convenient
for paſſengers. On each fide there is a railing,
When very heavy carriages go acroſs theſe
bridges, they fink a few inches below the ſur-
face of the water ; but the paſſage is by no
means dangerous. They are kept in an even
direction acroſs the river, by means of chains
and anchors in different parts, and are alſo
ſtrongly ſecured on both ſhores. Over that
part of the river where the channel lies, they
are ſo contrived that a piece can be removed
to allow veſſels to paſs through. Theſe bridges
are frequently damaged, and ſometimes en-
tirely carried away, during floods, at the break-
ing up of winter, eſpecially if there happens
to be much ice floating in the river. To guard
againſt this, when danger is apprehended and

Vor. I. D the

34 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

the flood does not come on too rapidly, they
unfaſten all the chains by which the bridge is
confined in its proper place, and then let the

whole float down with the ſtream to a conve-

nient part of the ſhore, where it can be hauled
up and ſecured.

The country, after paſſing the Schuylkill,
is pleaſingly diverſified with riſing grounds and
woods, and appears to be in a good ſtate of
cultivation. The firſt town of any note which
you come to is Cheſter, fifteen miles from
Philadelphia; this town contains about ſixty
dwellings, and is remarkable for being the
place where the firit colonian aſſembly far.
From the neighbourhood of this town there 1s
a very grand view of the river Delaware.

About half a mile before you come to
Wilmington is Brandy-wine River, remark-
able for its mills, no leſs than thirteen being
built almoſt cloſe to each other upon it.
The water, juſt above the bridge which is
thrown over it, comes tumbling down with
great violence over a bed of rocks ; and ſeats,
at a very trifling expenſe, could be made for
three times the number of mills already built.
Veſſels carrying 1,000 buſhels of wheat can
come cloſe up to them, and by. means of
machinery their cargoes are received from,
or delivered to them in a very expeditious
manner. Among the mills; fome are for flour,
* ſome

FL OUR MILIILIS. 36

ſome for ſawing of wood, and others for ſtone.
The improvements which have been made in
the machinery of the flour mills in America
are very great. The chief of theſe conſiſt
in a new application of the ſcrew, and the
introduction of what are called elevators, the
idea of which was evidently borrowed from
the chain pump. The ſcrew is made by
ſticking ſmall thin pieces. of board, about
three inches long and two wide, into a ey-
linder, ſo as to form the ſpiral line. This ſcrew
is placed in a horizontal poſition, and by turn-
ing on its axis it forces wheat or flour from
one end of a trough to the other. For in-
ſtance, in the trough which receives the meal
immediately coming from the ſtones, a ſcrew
of this kind is placed, by which the meal is
forced on, to the diſtance of fix or eight feet
perhaps, into a reſervoir ; from thence, with-
out any manual labour, it 48 conveyed to the
very top of the mill by the elevators, which
conſiſt of a number of ſmall buckets of the
ſize of tea- cups, attached to a long band that
goes round a wheel at the top, and another
at the bottom of the mill. As the band re-
volves round the wheels, theſe buckets dip
into the reſervoir of wheat or flour below,
and take their loads up to the top, where
they empty themſelves as they turn round the
upper wheel. The elevators are inclofed in
D 2 ſquare

36 TRAVELS THROUGH- NORTH AMERICA:

ſquare wooden tubes, to prevent them from
catching in any thing, and alſo to prevent
duſt. - By means of theſe two. fimple con-
trivances no manual labour is required from
the moment the wheat is taken to the mill
till it is converted into flour, and ready to be
packed, during the various proceſſes of ſcreen-
ing, grinding, ſifting, &c.

Wilmington is the capital of the ſtate of
Delaware, and contains about fix hundred
houſes, which are chiefly of brick. The
ſtreets are laid out on a plan ſomewhat ſimilar
to that of Philadelphia. There is nothing
very intereſting in this town, and the country
round about it is flat and inſipid. Elkton,
twenty-one miles diſtant from Wilmington,
and the firſt town in Maryland, contains about
ninety indifferent houſes, which are built
without any regularity; it is a dirty diſagree-
able place. In this neighbourhood I firſt
took notice of log-houſes; thoſe which J

had hitherto ſeen having been built either of -

brick or ſtone, or elſe conſtructed with wooden
frames, ſheathed on the outſide with boards.
The log-houſes are cheaper than any others
in a country where there is abundance of
wood, and generally are the firſt that are
erected on a new ſettlement in America. The
ſides conſiſt of trees juſt ſquared, and placed

horizontally one upon the- other ; the ends
of

Fm @ Re. © @ eee

MARYLAND, 37

of the logs of one ſide reſting alternately on
the ends of thoſe of the adjoining fides, in
notches; the interſtices between the logs are
ſtopped” with clay; and the roof is covered
with boards or with ſhingles, which are ſmall
pieces of wood in the ſhape of flates or tiles,
and which are uſed for that purpoſe, with a
few exceptions, throughout America. Theſe
habitations are not. very ſightly, but when
well built they are warm and comfortable,
and laſt for a long time

A conſiderable quantity of wheat and 1.
dian corn 1s raiſed in this neighbourhood, to
the production of which the ſoil is favourable ;
but the beſt cultivated parts of the country
are not ſeen from the road, which paſſes
chiefly over barren and hilly tracts, called
« ridges.” The reaſon for carrying the road
over theſe is, becauſe it is found to laſt longer
than if carried over the flat. part of the country,
where the ſoil is deep, a circumſtance which
the people of Maryland always take into
conſideration; for after a road is once cut, they
never take pains to keep it in good repair.
The roads in this ſtate are worſe than in
any one in the union; indeed ſo very bad
are they, that on going from Elkton to the
Suſquehannah ferry, the driver frequently had
to call to the paſſengers in the ſtage, to lean
out of the carriage firſt at one fide, then at

D 3 the

38 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:
the other, to prevent it from overſetting in
the deep ruts with which the road abounds:
« Now, gentlemen, to the right;“ upon
which the paſſengers all ſtretched their bodies
half way out of the carriage to balance it on

that ſide: Now, gentlemen, to the left,”

and ſo on, This was found abſolutely ne-
ceſſary at leaſt a dozen times in half the num-
ber of miles. Whenever they attempt to
mend theſe roads, it is always by filling the
ruts with ſaplings or buſhes, and covering
them over with earth. This, however, is done
only when there are fields on eack fide of the
road. If the road runs contiguous to a wood,
then, inſtead of mending it where it is bad, they
open a new paſſage through the trees, which
they call making a road. It is very common
in Maryland to fee fix or ſeven different roads
branching out from one, which all lead to
the fame place. A ſtranger, before he is ac-
quainted with this circumſtance, is frequently
puzzled to know which he ought to take.
The dexterity with which the drivers of the
ſtages guide their horſes along theſe" new
toads, which are full of ſtumps of trees, is
aſtoniſhing, yet to appearance they are the
"moſt awkward drivers poſſible; it is more by
the different noiſes which they make, than by
their reins, that they manage their horſes.

| . Charleſton

ROADS, _

Charleſton ſtands: at a few miles; diſtance
from Elkton ; there are about twenty houſes
only in it, which are inhabited chiefly by peo-
ple who carry on a herring fiſhery. Beyond
it the country is much diverſified with hill
and dale, and the foil being but of an indif-
ferent quality, the lands are ſo little cleared,
that in many parts the road winds through
uninterrupted woods for four or five miles to-
gether. The ſcenery in this neighbourhood 1s
extremely intereſting.” From the top of the
hills you meet with numberleſs bold and ex-
tenſive proſpects of the Cheſapeak Bay and of
the river Suſquehannah; and ſcarcely do you
croſs a valley without beholding in the depths
of the wood the waters of ſome little creek or
rivulet ruſhing over ledges of rock in a beau-
tiful caſcade. The generality of Americans
ſtare with aſtoniſhment at a perſon who can
feel any delight at paſſing through ſuch a coun-
try as this, To them the fight of a wheat
field or a cabbage garden would convey plea-
{ure far greater than that of the moſt romantie
woodland views. They have an unconquerable
averſion to trees; and whenever a ſettlement
is made, they cut away all before them with-
out mercy ; not one is ſpared ; all ſhare the
ſame fate, and are involved in the general
havoc. It appears ſtrange, that in a country
where the rays of the ſun act with ſuch pro-

D 4 digious

=] : ”
*
E FEES > —
— * - =

Ld o = =y = = 114 5 ND FW)
- 9 : > > ——+— 2 - =
ö — 3 :

40 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

——
—

—
— 2— . — — —_— —

digious power, ſome few trees near the habita-
tions ſhould not be ſpared, whoſe foliage might
afford a cooling ſhade during the parching heats
of ſummer ; and I have oftentimes expreſſed
my aſtoniſhment that none were ever left for
that purpoſe. In anſwer I have generally been
told, that they could not be left ſtanding near
a houſe without danger. The trees it ſeems
in the American foreſts have but a very flen-
der hold in the ground, conſidering their im-
menſe height, ſo that when two or three fully
grown are deprived of ſhelter in conſequence
of the others which ſtood around them being
cut down, they are very apt to be levelled by
the firſt ſtorm that chances to blow. This,
however, would not be the caſe with trees of
a {mall growth, which might ſafely be ſpared,
and which would ſoon afford an agreeable
ſhade if the Americans thought proper to leave
them ſtanding : but the fact of the matter is,
that from the face of the country being en-
tirely overſpread with trees, the eyes of the
people become ſatiated with the ſight of them,
The ground cannot be tilled, nor can the
inhabitants ſupport themſelves, till they are
remoyed ; they are looked upon as a nuiſance,
and the man that can cut down the largeſt
number, and have the fields about his houſe
moſt clear of them, is looked upon as the
moſt induſtrious citizen, and the one that is
making

TAVERNS. 41

making the greateſt improvements * in the
country.

Every ten or twelve miles upon this road
there are taverns, which are all built of wood,
and much in the ſame ſtile, with a porch in
front the entire length of the houſe, * Few of
theſe taverns have any ſigns, and they are
only to be diſtinguiſhed from the other 'houſes
by the number of handbills paſted up on the
walls near the door. They take their name,
not from the ſign, but from the perſon who
keeps them, as Jones's, Brown' s, &c. &c. All
of them are kept nearly in the ſame manner.
At each houſe there are regular hours: for
breakfaſt, dinner, and ſupper, and if a traveller
j arrives ſomewhat before the time appointed for
, any one of theſe, it is in vain to call for a ſe-
: parate meal for himſelf; he muſt wait pa-
: tiently till the appointed hour, and then ſit
, down with the other gueſts that may happen
7 to be in the houſe. Breakfaſts are generally
E plentifully ſerved ; there-is tea, coffee,” and
. different ſorts of bread, cold ſalt meat, and,
© very commonly beſides, beef fteaks, fried fiſh,

I have heard of Americans landing on barren parts of the
ſt north weſt coaft of Ireland, and evincing the greateſt ſurpriſe
e and pleaſure at the beauty any improved Rate of the country,
* ſo clear of trees !“

4 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:
cc. &c +. The charge made for breakfaſt is

nearly the ſame as that for dinner.

This part of Maryland abounds with iron
ore, Which is of a quality particularly well
adapted for caſting. The ore is found in banks
ſo near the ſurface of the earth that there is
never occafion to ſink a ſhaft to get at it.
Near Charleſton there is a ſmall foundery for
cannon. The cannon are bored by water. As
J paſſed by, they were making twenty-four
pounders, two of Which I was informed they
Kniſhed every week. The iron is extremely
tough; very few of the guns Sur. on being
proved.

The dene river is croſſed, on the
way to Baltimore, at a ferry five. miles above
its entrance into the Cheſapeak. The river
is here about a mile and quarter wide, and
deep enough for any veſſels; the banks are
high and thickly wooded, and the ſcenery is
grand and pictureſque. A ſmall town called
Havre de Grace, which contains about forty
houſes, ſtands on this river at the ferry. A
petitian was preſented. to congreſs the laſt year
to have it made a _ of entry; but at ra

+ The landlady always oaks at & — of the table to
make the tea, or a female ſervant attends for that purpoſe at
breakfaſt and in the evening; and at many taverns. in the
country the whole of the family fit down to dinner with the
gueſts.

there

„

BALTIMORE. 43

there is very little trade carried on there. A
few ſhips are annually built in the neighbour-
hood. From hence to Baltimore the coun-
try is extremely poor; the ſoil is of a yellow
gravel mixed with clay, and the roads EXE=
crable. |

Baltimore is ſuppoſed to contain about fix-
teen thouſand inhabitants, and though not the
capital of the ſtate, is the largeſt town in Mary-
land, and the molt confiderable place of trade
in North America, after Philadelphia and New
York. The plan of the town is ſomewhat
ſimilar to that of Philadelphia, moſt of the
ſtreets. croſſing each other at right angles.
The main ſtreet, which runs eaſt and weſt
nearly, is about eighty feet wide; the others are
from forty to fixty ſeet. The ſtreets are not
all paved, ſo that when it rains heavily they
are rendered almoſt impaſſable, the ſoil being
a ſtiff yellow clay, which retains the water a
long time. On the ſouth fide of the town is
a harbour commonly called the Baſon, which
affords about nine feet water, and is
enough to contain two thouſand fail of mer-
chant veſſels. There are wharfs and ftores

along it, the whole length of the town; but

as a particular wind is neceflary to enable ſhips
to get out of this baſon, by far the greater
number of thoſe which enter the port of Bal-

timore ſtop at a harbour which is formed by

a neck

44 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

a neck of land near the mouth of the baſon,
called Fell's Point. Here alſo wharfs have
been built, alongſide which veſſels of fix hun-
dred tons burthen can lie with perfect ſafety.
Numbers of perſons have been induced to ſet-
tle on this Point, in order to be contiguous to
the ſhipping. Upwards of ſeven hundred
houſes have already been built there, and re-
gular ſtreets laid out, with a large market place.
Theſe houſes, generally ſpeaking, -are con-
ſidered as a part of Baltimore, but to all ap-
pearance they form a ſeparate town, being
upwards of a mile diſtant from the other part
of the town. In the neighbourhood, Fell's
Point and Baltimore are ſpoken of as diſtin
and ſeparate places. Fell's Point is chiefly the
refidence of ſeafaring people, and- of the
younger partners of mercantile houſes, who

are ſtationed there to attend to the ſhipping.
The greater number of private houſes in
Baltimore are of brick, but many, particularly
in the ſkirts of the town, are of woed. In
ſome of the new ſtreets a few appear to be
well built, but in general the houſes are ſmall,
heavy, and inconvenient. As for the public
buildings, there are none worthy of being men-
tioned. The churches and places for public
worſhip are ten in number; one reſpectively
for Epiſcopalians, Preſbyterians, German Lu-
therans, German Calviniſts, Reformed Ger-
mans,

= PR 1 2 bet D TT n 3 rr » x +0 a6. =_ r
an of * 1 4 A _ TT. 8. =) n 0 =_ = A, << | 3 . — „ 4 *
—_ io = AC I IS, — i =" a nm 9 g AIMS ar + * 2 Va n
gd bo LR, - 1 5 * = ay 4 ib SF 4 5 = = *
4 FY 2A; * Ky LY
- 1 = _ T 7 3 * — = 8 — * = b * bn ” — by d
7 . — = : 2 nas. FI — ws g
d — EPETS = -B-E> = 2 . — . -— A —
2 S = _— — Mw a = 25 _ 2 Bs + £ * . D * _ 4 by . — 2 dy
1
4 i
9
*
:
a
=
=

* 4
i
kg s
= *
'S 4
*
wd -
£ } .
> 4 ,
_ , 15
1 2
n '
* wud
n N =
1
© * \
=
l ;

.
2

? .*
,
(
1
,

— —

* = —— => ts "SE -
P ccc.c. cx cc.

* * =» OS. CDP LY *

inn C0 eee JV WW

WI
*

B ALTIMORE. 43

mans, Nicolites or New Quakers, Baptiſts,
Roman Catholics, and two for Methodiſts.
The Preſbyterian church, which has lately been
erectcd, is the beſt building among them, and
indeed the handſomeſt building in town, It
is of brick, with a portico in front r e
by ſix pillars of ſtone.

They have no leſs than three incorporated
banks in this town, and the number of notes
iſſued from them is ſo great, as almoſt to pre-
clude the circulation of ſpecie. Some of the
notes are for as ſmall a ſum as a ſingle dollar,
and being much more portable than filyer,
are generally preferred. As for gold, it is
very ſcarce; I hardly ever met with it during
two months that I remained in Maryland.

Amongſt the inhabitants of Baltimore are
to be found Engliſh, Iriſh, Scotch, and French.
The Iriſh appear to be moſt numerous ; and
many of the principal merchants in town ate
in the number. Since the war, a great many
French have arrived both from France and
from the Weſt India Iſlands, With a few
exceptions the inhabitants are all engaged in
trade, which is cloſely attended to. They
are moſtly plain people, ſociable however
amongſt themſelves, and very friendly and
hoſpitable towards ſtrangers. Cards and dan-
cing are favourite amuſements, both in pri-
vate and at public afſemblies, which are held

every

#5 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

every fortnight. © There are two theatres here,
in which there are performances occafionally.

The oldeſt of them, which ſtands in the road to

Fell's Point, is moſt wretched, and appears little
better than a heap of looſe boards; for a long

time it lay quite neglected, but has lately
been fitted up for a company of French actors,
the only one I ever heard of in the country.
Baltimore, like Philadelphia, has ſuffered from
the ravages of the yellow fever. During the
autumn it is generally unhealthy, and thoſe
who can afford it retire to country ſeats in the
neighbourhood, of which ſome are moſt de-
lightfully ſituated,

From Baltimore to Waſhington, which is
forty miles diſtant, the country wears but a
poor appearance. The ſoil in ſome parts con-
fiſts of a yellow clay mixed with gravel; in
other parts it is very ſandy. In the neigh bour-
hood of the creeks and between the hills are
patches of rich black earth, called Bottoms,
the trees upon which grow to a large ſize;
but where there is gravel they are very ſmall,
The. roads paſſing over theſe bottoms are
worlſe than any I ever met with elſewhere. In
driving over one of them, near the head wa-
ters of a branch of Patuxent river, a few days
after a heavy fall of rain, the wheels of a ſulky

which I was in ſunk up to the very boxes.
For

* %F is

ROADS. AND'BRIDGES. ” ay

For -a moment I deſpaired of being able to
get out without aſſiſtance, 'when my horſe,
which was very powerful, finding himſelf im-
peded, threw himſelf upon his haunches, and
diſengaging his fore-feet, made- a 'vigorous
plunge forwards, which luckily diſengaged
both himſelf and the ſulky, and freed me
from my embarraſiment. I was afterwards in-
formed that General Waſhington, as he was
going to meet congreſs a ſhort time before, was
ſtopped in the very ſame place, 'his carriage
ſinking ſo deep in the mud that it was found
neceſſary to ſend to a neighbouring houſe for
ropes and poles to extricate it. Over ſome of
the bottoms, which were abſolutely impaſſable
in their natural ſtate, cauſeways have been
thrown, which are made with large trees laid
fide by ſide acroſs the road. For a time theſe
cauſeways afford a commodious paſlage ; but
they do not laſt long, as many of the trees
ſink into the ſoft ſoil, and others, expoſed
to the continual attrition of waggon wheels
in a particular part, breaking aſunder. In this
ſtate, full of unſeen obſtacles, it is abſolutely
a matter of danger for a perſon unacquainted
with the road to attempt to drive a carriage
along it. The bridges over the creeks, co-
vered with looſe boards, are as bad as the
cauſeways, and totter as a carriage paſſes over.

That

48 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

That the legiſlature of Maryland can be fo
inactive, and not take ſome ſteps to repair
this, which is one of the principal roads in the
ſtate, the great road from north to ſouth, and
the high road to the City of Waſhington, is

moſt wonderful!

R
| Ar R IV.
Foundation of the City of Waſhington.—Not
readily agreed to by different States. Choice
of the Ground left to General Waſhington,
— Circumſtances to be con/idered in cbuſing the
Ground.—The Spot fixed upon central to all
the States. — Alſo remarkably advantageouſly
ſituated for Trade. — Nature of the Back
Country Trale.—Summary View of the prin-
cipal Trading Towns in the United States, —
Their Proſperity ſhewn to depend on the Back
Country Trade, —Deſcription of the Pa-
totomac River. —Iis Connettion with other
Rivers pointed out — Prodigicus Extent of
the Water Communication from Waſhington
City in all Dire&ioms.—Country likely to
trade immediately with Maſbington.— Situa-
tion of Vaſbington.— Plan of the City
Public Buildings.—Some begun, others pro-
ſected. Capital Preſident's Houſe — Hotel.
Stone and other building Materials found
in the Neighbourhood, Private Houſes and
Inhabitants at preſent in the City. Di-.
ferent Opinions reſpecting the future Great-
neſs of the City. Impediments thrown in the
Way of its Improvement.--What bas given
riſe to this, |
MY DEAR SIR, Waſhington, November.
HE City of Waſhington, or the Fe-
deral City, as it is indiſcriminately called,

was laid out in the year 1792, and is ex-
. I. E preſsly

go TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

preſsly deſigned for being the metropolis of
the United States, and the ſeat of the federal
government. In the year 1800 the congreſs
is to meet there for the firſt time. As the
foundation of this city has attracted the at-
tention of ſo many people in Europe, and as
fuch very different opinions are entertained
about it, I ſhall, in the following pages, give
you a brief account of its riſe and progreſs.

. Shortly after the cloſe of the American
war, conſiderable numbers of the Pennſylva-
nian line, or of the militia, with arms in
their hands, ſurrounded the hall in which the
congreſs was aſſembled at Philadelphia, and
with vehement menaces inſiſted upon imme-
diate appropriations of money being made to

, diſcharge the large arrears due to them for

their paſt ſervices. The members, alarmed
at ſuch an outrage, reſolved to quit a ſtate
in which they met with inſult inſtead of pro-
tection, and quickly adjourned to New York,
where the ſeſſion was terminated. A ſhort
time afterwards, the propriety was ſtrongly
urged in congreſs, of fixing upon ſome place
for the meeting of the legiſlature, and for the
ſeat of the general government, which ſhould
be ſubject to the laws and regulations of the
congreſs alone, in order that the members, in
future, might not have to depend for their per-
ſonal ſafety, and for their freedom of delibe-
ration, upon the good or bad police of any in-

dividual

7 © Ta pr

ctTY OF WASHINGTON, ' #9

dividual ſtate, - This idea of making the
place, which ſhould be choſen for the meeting
of the legiſlature, independent of the parti-
cular ſtate to which it might belong, was fur-
ther corroborated by the following argument:
That as the ſeveral ſtates in the union were
in ſome meaſure rivals to each other, although
connected together by certain ties, if any one of
them was fixed upon for the ſeat of the ge-
neral government in preference, and thus raiſed
to a ſtate of pre-eminence, it might perhaps:
be the occaſion of great jealouſy amongſt the
others. Every perſon was convinced of the
expediency of preſerving the union of the
ſtates entire; ic was apparent, therefore, that
the greateſt precautions ought to be taken to
remove every ſource of jealouſy from amongſt
them, which might tend, though remotely, to
produce a ſeparation. In fine, it was abſo-
lutely neceſſary that the ſeat of government
ſhould be made permanent, as the removal of
the public offices and the archives from place
to place could not but be attended with many
and very great inconveniences. |

However, notwithſtanding this meaſure ap-

peared to be beneficial to the intereſt of the

union at large, it was not until after the re-
volution, by which the preſent federal con-
ſtitution was eſtabliſhed, that it was acceded

to on the part of all the ſtates. Pennſyl-

E 2: vania,

3 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

vania in particular, conſcious of her being a
principal and central ſtate, and therefore likely
to be made the ſeat of government if this
new project was not carried into executions
was foremoſt in the oppoſition, At laſt ſhe
complied ; but it was only on condition that
the congreſs ſhould meet at Philadelphia until
the new city was ready for its reception, flat-
tering herſelf that there would be ſo many ob-
jections afterwards to the removal of the ſeat
of government, and ſo many difficulties in
putting the project into execution, that it
would finally be relinquiſhed. To the diſcri-
minating judgment of General Waſhington,
then preſident, it was left to determine upon
the ſpot beſt calculated for the federal city.
After mature deliberation he fixed upon a
fituation on the banks of the Patowmac River,
a ſituation which ſeems to be marked out by
nature, not only for a large city, but ex-
preſsly for the ſeat of the metropolis of the
United States.

In the choice of the ſpot there were two
principal conſiderations: Firſt, that it ſhould
be as central as poſſible in reſpect to every
ſtate in the union; ſecondly, that it ſhould be
advantageouſly ſituated for commerce, without
which it could not be expected that the city
would ever be diſtinguiſhed for ſize or for
ſplendour; and it was to be ſuppoſed, that

the

VIEW OF THE TRADING TOWNS. 53
the people of the United States would be de-
firous of having the metropolis of the count
try as magnificent as it poſſibly could be.
Theſe two eſſential points are moſt happily
combined in the ſpot which has been
choſen. me aun

The northern and ſouthern extremities of
the United States are in 46˙ and 317 north la-
titude. The latitude of the new city is 38* 53
north; ſo that it is within twenty-three minutes
of being exactly between the two extremities.
In no part of North America either is there à
port ſituated ſo far up the countty to the weſt-
ward, excepting what belongs to Great Britain
on the river St. Lawrence, its diſtance from
the ocean being no leſs than tWwo hundred and
eighty miles. A more central ſituation could
certainly have been fixed upon, by going fur-
ther to the weſtward ; but had this been done,

it muſt have been an inland one, which would
have been very unfavourable for trade. The

ſize of all towns in America has hitherto been
proportionate to their trade, and particularly
to that carried on with the back ſettlements!
This trade conſiſts in ſupplying the people of
the weſtern parts of the United States, or the
back ſettlements, with certain articles of fo-
reign manufacture, which they do not find any
intereſt in fabricating for themſelves at .
lent ; ; nor is it to be ſuppoſed that they will,
E 3 tor

84 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

for many years to come, while land remains
cheap, and theſe articles can be imported and
ſent to them on reaſonable terms. The articles
chiefly in demand conſiſt of hardware, woollen
cloths, figured cottons, hoſiery, haberdaſhery,
earthen ware, &c. &c. from England ; coftee,
rum, ſugar *, from the Weſt Indies; tea, coarſe
muſlins, and calicoes, from the Eaſt Indies.
In return for theſe articles the people of the
back ſettlements ſend down for exportation
the various kinds of produce which the coun-
try affords ; wheat and flour, furs, ſkins, rice,
indigo, tobacco, pitch, tar, &c. &o. It is very
evident, therefore, that the beſt ſituation for a
trading town muſt be upon a long navigable
river, ſo that the town may be open to the ſea,
and thus enabled to carry on a foreign trade,
and at the ſame time be enabled, by means of
an extenſive water communication in an op-
poſite direction, to trade with the diſtant parts
of the country. None of the inland towns
have as yet increaſed to a great fize. Lan-
caſter, which is the largeſt in all America, con-
tains only nine hundred houſes, and ĩt is nearly
double the ſize of any other inland one.
Neither do the ſea - port towns flouriſh, which
are not well ſituated for carrying on an inland

0 "lp is not ſent very far back into the country, as it
is propured at muck leſs expence from the maple-tree,

trado

VIEW OF THE TRADING TOWNS. 55
trade at the fame time. The truth of this
poſition muſt appear obvious on taking ſurvey
of the principal towns in the United States.

To begin with Boſton, the largeſt town
north of New York, and one of the oldeſt in
the United States. Though it has a moſt ex-
cellent harbour, and has always been inhabited
by an enterprizing induſtrious ſet of people, yet
it is now inferior, both in ſize and commerce,
to Baltimore, which was little more than the
refidence of a few fiſhermen thirty years ago;
and this, becauſe there is no river in the neigh-
bourhood navigable for more than ſeven miles,
and the weſtern parts of the ſtate of Maſ-
ſachuſets, of which it is the capital, can be
ſupplied with commodities carried up the
North River on much better terms than if
the ſame commodities were ſent by land car-
riage from Boſton. Neither does Boſton in-
creaſe by any means in the ſame proportion
as the other towns, which have an extenſive
trade with the people of the back ſettlements.
For the ſame cauſe we do not find that any
of the ſea-port or other towns in Rhode Iſland
and Connecticut are increaſing very faſt ; on
the contrary, Newport, the capital of the ſtate
of Rhode Iflind, and which has a harbour that
is boaſted of as being one of the beſt through-
out the United States, is now falling to decay.
Newport contains about one thouſand houſes ;

„ | none

56 TRAVELS THROUGH.NORTH AMERICA :

none of the other towns between Boſton and
New York contain more than five hundred.
We now come to New York, which enjoys
the double advantages of an excellent harbour
and a large navigable river, which opensa com-
munication with the interior parts of the
country; and here we find a flouriſhing city,
containing forty thouſand * inhabitants, and
increaſing beyond every calculation. The
North a” Hudſon River, at the mouth of which
New York ſtands, is navigable from thence for
one hundred and thirty miles in large veſlcls,
and in loops of eighty tons burthen as. far
as Albany; ſmaller ones go ſtill higher. About
nine miles above Albany, the Mohawk River
falls into. the Hudſon, by means of; which,
Wocd Creek, Lake Onei da, and Oſwego River,
a communication is opened wi ith Lake Ontario.
In this route there are ſcveral portages, but it
3s a route which is much frequented, and
numbers of boats are kept employed u pon it
in carrying goods whenever the ſeaſon is not
too dry. In long droughts the waters fall ſo
much that oficntimes there is not ſuthcient
to float an empty boat. All theſe obſtructions
however may, and will one day or other, be
remedied by the hand of art. Gſwego river,
before it falls into Lake Ontario, communi-

- -

»Sie inhabitants may be reckoned for every houſe in the

United States,
8 cates

VIEW OF THE TRADING TOWNS. - 57

cates with the Seneka river, which affords. in
ſucceſſion an entrance into the lakes Cayuga,
Sencka, and Canadaqua. Lake Seneka, the
largeſt, is about forty miles in length; upon
it there is a ſchooner-rigged veſſel of ſeventy
tons burthen conſtantly employed. The ſhores
of theſe lakes are more thickly ſettled than
the Other part of the adjacent country, but the
population of the whole track lying between
tlie rivers Geneſęe and Hudſon, which are
about two hundred and fifty miles apart, is ras
pidly increaling. All this country weſt of the
Hudſon River, together with that to the eaſt,
comprehending, the back parts of the ſtates of

Maſſachuſetts and Connecticut, and alſo. the

entire of the ſtate of Vermont, are ſupplied
with European manufactures and Weſt Indian

produce, &c. &c. by way of New. Vork; not

directly from that city, but from Albany,
Hudſon, and other towns on the North River,
which trade with New York, and which are
intermediate places tor the depoſit of goods
paſſing to, and, coming from. the back country.
Albany, indeed, 1s now beginning herſelf to
import goods from the Welt Indies; but (till
the bulk of her trade is with New. York.
Nothing can ſerve more to ſhew the advan-
tages which accrue to any town from an in-
tercourſe with the back country, than the ſud-
den progreſs of theſe ſecondary places of tradg

upon

3 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

upon the North River. At Albany, the num-
ber of houſes is increaftng as faſt as at New
York; at preſent there are upwards of eleven
hundred; and in Hudſon city which was only
laid out in the year 1783, there are now more
than three hundred and twenty dwellings.
This city is on the eaſt fide of the North River,
one handred and thirty miles above its mouth,
By means alſo of the North River and Lake
Champlain a trade is carried on with Montreal
in Canada.

But to go on with the ſurvey of the towns
to the ſouthward. In New Jerſey, we find
Amboy, fituated at the head of Raritan Bay,
a bay not inferior to any throughout the United
States. The greateſt encouragements alſo
have been held ont by the ſtate legiſlature to
merchants who would ſettle there; but the
town, notwithſtanding, remains nearly. in the
ſtate it was in at the time of the revolution:
fixty houſes are all that it contains. New
Brunſwick, which 1s built on Raritan River,
about fifteen miles above its entrance into the
bay, carries on a ſmall inland trade with the ad-
jacent country; but the principal part of New
Jerſey is naturally ſupplied with foreign ma-
nufactures by New York on the one fide, and
by Philadelphia on the other, the towns moſt
happily ſituated for the purpoſe. There are

about two hundred houſes in New Brunſwick;
and

VIEW OF THE TRADING TOWNS. 359

and about the fame number in Trenton on
Delaware, the capital of the ſtate. -

Philadelphia, the largeſt town in the bel;
has evidently been raiſed to that ſtate of pre-
eminence by her extenfive inland commerce.
On one ſide is the river Delaware, which is
navigable in floops for thirty-five miles above
the town, and in boats carrying eight or nine
tons one hundred miles further. On the
other {ide is the Schuylkill, navigable, except-
ing at the falls, for ninety miles. But the
country bordering upon theſe rivers is but a
trifling part of that which Philadelphia trades
with, Goods are forwarded to Harriſburgh,
a town fituated on the Suſquehannah, and
from thence ſent up that river, and difperſed
throughout the adjoining country. The
eaſtern branch of Suſquehannah is navigable
for two hundred and fifty miles above Har-
riburgh. This place, which in 1786 ſcarcely
deſerved. the name of a village, now contains
upwards of three hundred houſes. By land car-
riage Philadelphia alſo trades with the weſtern
parts of Pennſylvania, as far as Pittſburg it-
ſelf, which is on the Ohio, with the back of
Virginia, and, ſtrange. to tell, with Kentucky,
ſeven hundred; miles diſtant.

Philadelphia, however, does not enjoy the
excluſive trade to Virginia and Kentucky;
Baltimore, which lies more to the ſouth,

comes

Go TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

comes in for a confiderable ſhare, if not for
the greateſt part of it, and to that 4s in-
debted for her ſudden riſe, and her great ſu-
periority over Annapolis, the capital of Marys
land. Annapolis, although it has a good
harbour, and was made a port of entry a8
long ago as the year 1694 has ſcarcely any
trade now. Baltimore, ſituated more in the
heart of the country, has gradually drawn it
all away from her. From Baltimore nearly
the entire of Maryland is furniſhed with Eu-
fopean manufactures. The very flouriſhing
ſtate of this place has N been mens
tioned. |

As the Patowmac river, and the towns
upon it, are to come more particularly under
notice afterwards, we may from hence paſs
on to the other towns in Virginia. With res
gard to Virginia, however, it is to be ob-
ſerved, that the impolitic laws *. Which habe
been enacted in that ſtate have thrown a
great damp upon trade; the Virginians tod
have always been more diſpoſed towards agti-
culture than trade; ſo that the towns in that
ſtate, ſome of which are moſt advantageouſly
fituated; have never increaſed as they would
have done had the county been inhabited by
a different kind of * and had l

* For * account of them ſee Letter XIII. 6
laws

— An am—_ fe. *

vIEW Oo THE TRA % TOWNS. u 6.
laws conſequently exiſted; ſtill however we
ſhall find that the moſt flouriſhing towns in
the ſtate are thoſe which are open to the ſea,
and ſituated moſt conveniently at the ſame
time for trading with the people of the back
country. On Rappahannock River, for in-
ſtance, Tappahannock or Hobb's Hole was
laid out at the ſame time that Philadelphia
was. Frederickſburgh was built many ou
afterwards on the ſame river, but thirty miles
higher up, and at the head of that part of it
which was navagable for ſea veſſels ; the con-
ſequence of this has been, that Frederickſ-
burgh, from being ſituated more in the heart
of the country, is now four times as large a
town as Hobb's Hole.

Vork River, from running ſo cloſely to
James River on the one ſide, and the Rap-
pahannock on the other, does not afford a
good ſi tuation for a a large town. The largeſt
town upon it, which is York, only contains
ſeventy houſes.

Williamſburgh was formerly the capital
of the ſtate, and contains about four hundred
houſes ; but inſtead of increaſing, this town is
going to ruin, and numbers of the houſes at
preſent are uninhabited, ' which is evidently
on account of its inland ſituation. There

is no navigable ſtream nearer to it than one

mile and a half, and this is only a ſmall
creek,

6s TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

creek, which runs into James River. Rich-
mond, on the contrary, which is the preſent
capital of the ſtate, has increaſed very faſt, be-
cauſe it ſtands on a large navigable river; yet
Richmond is no more than an intermediate
place for the depoſit of goods paſſing to and
from the back country, veſſels drawing more
than ſeven feet water being unable to come
up to the town.

The principal place of trade in Virginia
is Norfolk. This town has a good harbour,

and is enabled to trade with the upper parts
of the country, by means of James River,

near the mouth of which it ſtands. By land
alſo a briſk trade is carried on with the back
parts of North Carolina, for in that ſtate there
are no towns of any importance. The en-

trance from the ſea into the rivers in that
| ſtate are all impeded by ſhoals and ſand banks,

none of which afford more than eleven feet
water, and the paſſage over ſome of them is
very dangerous from the ſand ſhifting. Wil-
mington, which is the greateſt place of trade
in it, contains only two hundred and fifty
houſes. In order to carry on their trade to
North Carolina to more advantage, à canal 19
now cutting acrofs the Diſmal Swamp, from
Norfolk into Albemarle Sound, by means of
the rivers that empty into which, a water
communication will be man to the remote

8 parts

VIEW-OF THE TRADING rows. Gp

parts of that ſtate. Added to this, Norfolk,
from its contiguity to the Diſmal Swamp, is
enabled to ſupply the Weſt Indian market
with lumber on better terms than any other
town in the United States. It is in con-
ſequence increaſing with wonderful rapidity, -
notwithſtanding the diſadvantages it labours
under from the laws, which are fo inimical to
commerce. At preſent it contains upwards
of five hundred houſes, which have all been
built within the-laſt twenty years, for in the
year 1776 the town was totally deſtroyed by
orders of Lord Dunmore, then regal governor
of Virginia.

Moſt of the rivers in South Carolina are
obſtructed at their mouths, much in the ſame
manner as thoſe in North Carolina; at Charleſ-
ton, however, there is a ſafe and commo-
dious harbour. From having ſuch an ad-
vantage, this town commands nearly the en-
tire trade of the ſtate in which it is ſituated,
as well as a conſiderable portion of that of
North Carolina. The conſequence is, that
Charleſton ranks as the fourth commercial
town in the union. There are two rivers
which diſembogue on each fide of the town,
Cooper and Aſhley; theſe are navigable, but
not for a very great diſtance ; however, from
Cooper River a canal is to be cut to the
Santee, a large navigable river which runs
a con-

8 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA +

2 conſiderable way up the country. Charleſ-
ton has unfortunately been almoſt totally de-
ftroyed by fire of late, but it is rebuilding very
faſt, and will moſt probably in a few years be
larger than ever.

The view that has been taken ſo far is ſuffi-
cient to demonſtrate, that the proſperity of
the towns in the United States is dependant
upon their trade, and principally upon that
which is carried on with the interior parts of
the country; and alſo, that thoſe towns which
are moſt conveniently fituated for the pur-
poſe of carrying on this inland trade, are thoſe
which enjoy the greateſt ſhare of it. It is |
now time to examine more particularly how f
far the ſituation of the federal city is favour- c
able, or otherwiſe, for commerce ; to do ſoy ,
it will be neceſſary, in the firſt place, to trace ll t

the courſe of the Patowmac River, on which n
it ſtands, and alſo that of the rivers with which
it is connected. as
The Patowmac takes its riſe on the north- el
weſt fide of Alleghany Mountains, and after tb
running ina meandering direction for upwards lie
of four hundred miles, falls into the Cheſapeak Il cit
Bay. At its confluence with the bay it is WW in;
ſeven miles and a half wide; about thirty miles ¶ th:
higher, at Nominy Bay, four and a half; N qu
at Aquia, three; at Hallowing Point, one and tan
a half; and at Alexandria, and from thence to ¶ the

the

FATOWMAC RIVER 65
the federal city, it is one mile and quarter wide.
The depth of water at its mouth is ſeven fa-
thoms; at St. George's Tland, five; at Alex-
andria, four; and from thence to Waſhington,
ſeven miles diftant, three fathoms. The na-
vigation of the Patowmae, from the Cheſapeak
Bay to the city, one hundred and forty miles
diſtant, is remarkable ſafe, and ſo plain that
any navigator of common abilities, that has
once failed up the river, might venture to
take up a veſſel drawing twelve feet water
without a pilot. This could not be ſaid of
any other river on the continent, from the
St. Lawrence to the Miſſiſſippi. In its courſe
it receives ſeveral large ſtreams, the principal
one of which falls in at the federal city.
This river is called the ' Eaſtern Branch of
the Patowmac ; but it ſcarcely deferves that'
name; as it extends no more than thirty. miles
up the country, At its mouth it is nearly
as wide as the main branch of the river, and
cloſe to the city the water is in many places
thirty feet deep. Thouſands of veſſels might
lie here, and ſheltered from all danger; arifing
either from freſhes, or from ice upon the break-
ing up of a ſevere winter. Thus it appears
that the federal city is poſſeſſed of one effential
qualification for making it a place of impor-
tance, namely, a good harbour, from which
there is a ready paſſage to the ocean; it will
Vor, I. alſe

66 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH-AMBRICA :

alſo appear that it is well ſituated for trading
with the interior parts of the country.
The water in the Patowmac continues

nearly the ſame depth that it is oppoſite to the

city for one mile higher, where a large rock
riſes up in the middle of the river, on each
fide of which there are ſand- banks. It is ſaid
that there is a deep channel between this rock
and the ſhore, but it is ſo intricate that it
would be dangerous to attempt to take a large
veſſel through it. The navigation, however,
is ſafe to the little falls for river craft, five
miles farther on; here a canal, which extends
two miles and a half, the length of theſe falls
or rapids, has been cut and perfected, which
opens a free paſſage for boats as far as the
great falls, which are ' ſeven, miles from the
others. The deſcent of the river at theſe is
leventy- ſix feet in a mile and quarter; but
it is intended to make another canal here
alſo; a part of it is already cut, and every exer-
tion is making to have the whole completed
with expedition #. From hence to Fort Cum-
berland, one hundred and ninety-one miles
above the federal city, there is a free naviga-
tion, and boats are continually paſſing up and
down. Beyond this, the paſſage in the river
is obſtructed in numerous places; but there is

For a further deſcription of theſe Falls ſee Letter XXXI.
a poſſi-

WATER COMMUNICATIONS. £

4 poſſibility of opening it, and as ſoon as the
company formed for the purpoſe have ſuffi-
cient funds, it vrill certainly be done. From
the place up to which it is aſſerted the paſ-
ſage of the Patowmac can be opened, the
diſtance acroſs land to Cheat River is only
thirty- ſeven miles. This laſt river is not at
preſent navigable for more than fiſty miles
above its mouth; but it can be rendered ſo
for boats, and ſo far up that there will only be
the ſhort portage that I have mentioned be-
tween the navigable waters of the two riv-
ets. Things are only great or ſmall by com-
pariſon, and a portage of thifty-ſeven miles
will be thought a very ſhort one, when found
to be the only interruption to an inland navi-
gation of upwards of two thouſand ſeven hun-
dred miles, of which two thouſand one hun-
dred and eighty- three are down ſtream. Cheat
River is two hundred yards wide at its mouth,
and falls into the Monongahela, which runs
on to Pittſburgh, and there receives the Al-
leghany River ; united they form the Ohio,
which after a courſe of one thouſand one
hundred and-eighty-three miles, during which
it receives twenty-four © other © confiderable
rivers, ſome of them fix hundred yards wide at
the mouth, and navigable for hundreds of

miles up the country, empties itſelf into the
Mufti ppi.

F 2 IF

6 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

If we trace the water communication, in
an oppoſite direction, its prodigious extent will
be 4 till. greater ſubject of aſtoniſhment.
By aſcending the Alleghany River from Pittſ-
burgh as far as French Creek, and afterwards
this latter ſtream, you, come to Fort le Beuf,
This place is within fifteen, miles of Preſqu
Ille, a town ſituated upon Lake Erie, which
has a harbour capable of admitting veſſels
drawing nine feet water. Or you may get
upon the lake by aſcending the Great Miami
River, which falls into the Ohio five hundred
and fifty miles below Pittsburgh. From the
Great Miami there is a portage of nine, miles
only to Sanduſky River, which runs into
Lake Erie. It is moſt probable, howeyer,
that whatever intercourſe there may be be-
tween the lakes and the federal city, it will
be kept up by means of the Alleghany River
and French Creek, rather than by the Miami,
as in the laſt caſe it would - neceſſary to
combat againſt the ſtream of the Ohio for
five nundred and fifty miles, a very ſerious ob-
ject of conſideration.

Lake Erie is three hundred miles i in 1
and ninety in breadth, and there is a free com-
munication between it, Lake Huron, and
Lake Michigan. Lake Huron is upwards of
one thouſand miles in circum ference ; Michi-

gan is ſomewhat ſmaller. Numbers of large
| rivers

RIVERS AND LAKES. 59
rivers fall into theſe lakes, after having
watered immenſe tracts of country in various
directions. Some of theſe rivers too are con-
nected in a moſt ſingular manner with others,
which run in a courſe totally different. For
inſtance, after paſſing over the Lakes Erie, St.
Clair, and Michigan, to the head of Puan's
Bay, you come to Fox River; from hence
there is a portage of three miles only to
Ouiſconſing River, which empties itſelf into
the Miſſiſſippi; and in the fall of the year, when
the waters are high, and the rivers overflow,
it is oftentimes pothble to paſs from Fox River
to Ouiſconſing River without ever getting out
of a canoe. Thus, excepting a portage of
three miles only at the moſt, it is poſſible. to
go the whole way by water from Preſqu' Iſle,
on Lake Erie, to New Orleans, at the mouth
of the Miſſiſſi ppi, a diſtance of near four thou-
ſand miles. It would be-an endleſs taſk to
trace the water communication in every di-
rection. By a portage of nine miles at the
Falls of Niagara, the navigation of Lake On-
tario and the St. Lawrence is opened on
one ſide, and at the other that of Lake Su-
perior, by a ſtill ſhorter portage at the Falls
of St. Mary. This laſt lake, which is at leaſt
fifteen hundred miles in circumference, is ſup-
plied by no leſs than forty rivers; and be-
yond it the water communiication extends for

F 3 hundreds

7> TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

hundreds of miles farther on, through the
Lake of the Woods to Lake Winnipeg, which

is ſtill larger than that of Superior.

But ſuppoſing that the immenſe regions
bordering upon theſe lakes and rivers were
already peopled, it is not to be concluded, that
becauſe they are connected by water with the
Patowmac, the federal city muſt neceſſarily be
the mart for the various productions of the
whole country. There are different ſea ports
to which the inhabitants will trade, according
to the ſituation of each particular part of the
ccuntry. Quebec, on the river St. Lawrence,
will be one; New York, connected as hag
been ſhewn with Lake Ontario, another ; and
New Orleans at the mouth of the Miſſiſſippi,
which by the late treaty with Spain has been
made a free port, a third. The federal city
will come in alſo for its ſhare, and what this
Mare will be it now remains to aſcertain.

Situated upon the-banks of the Patowmac,
there are already two towns, and both in the
vicinity of the federal city. George Town,
which contains about two hundred and fifty
houſes; and Alexandria, with double the num-
ber. The former of theie ſtands about one
mile above the city, nearly oppoſite the large
rock in the river, which has been ſpoken of ;
the latter, ſeven miles below it.; Conſiderable
quantities of produce are already ſent down the

Patowmac

NATIONAL BANE. 71

Patowmac to each of theſe towns, and the

people in the country are beginning to look

thither in return for a part of their ſupply of
foreign manufactures, It has been maintained,
therefore, that theſe two places, already in |
the practice of trading with the back fettlers,
will draw the greater part of the country
trade to themfelves, to the prejudice of the
federal city. Both thefe towns have as great
advantages in point of ſituation as the city;
the intereſts of the three places therefore muſt
unqueſtionably for a time claſh together. It
can hardly be doubted, however, but that the
federal city will in a few years completely
eclipſe the other two. George Town can fur-

nith the people of the back country with fo-
reign manufactures, at ſecond hand only, from
Baltimore and Philadelphia; Alexandria im-
ports directly from Europe, but an a very con-
tracted fcale: more than two thirds of the
goods which are fent from thence to the back
country are procured in the fame manner as
at George Town. In neither place are there
merchants with large capitals; nor have the
banks, of which there is one in cach town,
ſufficient funds to afford them much affiſtance ;
but merchants with large capitals are pre-
paring to move to the city. As ſoon alfo as
the ſeat of government is fixed there, the na-

tional bank, or at leaſt a large branch of it,
F 4 will

7 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

will be eſtabliſhed at the ſame time; this cir-
cumſtance alone will afford the people of the
City a decided advantage over thoſe of Alex-
andria and George Town, Added to all,
both theſe towns are in the territory of Co-
lumbia, that is, in the diſtrict of ten miles
round the city which is to be ſubje& to the
laws and regulations of congreſs alone ; it may
be, therefore, that encouragements will be
held out by congreſs to thoſe who ſettle in the
city, which will be refuſed to ſuch as go to
any other part of the territory. Although
Alexandria and George Town, then, may rival
the city while it is in its infancy, yet it cannot
be imagined that either of them will be able
to cope with it in the end, The probable
trade of the city may for this reaſon be ſpoken
of as if neither of the other places exiſted.

It may be taken for granted, in the firſt
place, that the whole of the country bordering
upon the Patowmac river, and upon thoſe rivers
which fall into it, will trade with the city of
Waſhington. In tracing the courſe of the
Patowmac all theſe rivers were not enumerated;

a better idea of them may be had from an in-

ſpection of the map. Shenandoah, which is
the longeſt, is not navigable at preſent; but
it has been ſuryeyed, and the company for
improving the navigation of the Patowmaeę
have ſtated that it can be made ſo for one hun-

* dred

PROBABLE TRADE OF WASHINGTON. 73

dred miles, This would be coming very near
to Staunton, behind the Blue Mountains, and
which is on the high road from Kentucky,
and from the new ſtate of Teneſfee, to the
city of Philadelphia. Frankfort, the capital of
the former of theſe ſtates, is nearly eight hun-
dred miles from Philadelphia; Knoxville,
that of the other, ſeven hundred and twenty-
eight. Both theſe towns draw their ſupplies
of foreign manufactures from Philadelphia, and
by landcarriage. Suppoſing then that the na-
vigation of the Shenandoah ſhould be per-
fected, there would be a ſaving of four hundred
and thirty-ſix miles of land carriage from going
to Waſhington by the Shenandoah and Pa-
towmac inſtead of going to Philadelphia; ſuch
a ſaving, it might be imagined, would draw
the whole of this trade to Waſhington. Whe-
ther the two weſtern ſtates, Kentucky and
Teneſſee, will trade to New Orleans or not,
at a future day, in preference to any of thelg
places, will be inveſtigated preſently.

By means of Cheat and Monongahela rivers
it has been ſhewn, that an opening may be
obtained to Pittſburgh, This will be a route
of about four hundred and fifty miles from
Waſhington, and in it there will be one port-
age, from the Patowmac to Cheat River, of
thirty- ſeven miles, and perhaps two or three
others; but theſe will be all very ſmall. It

| has

74 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA;
has been aſcertained beyond doubt, that the

Pittſburgh merchant can have his goods con-
veyed from New York, by means of the Hud-
fon and Mohawk rivers, to Oſwego, and from
thence by the lakes Ontario and Eric, and the
Alleghany River, to Pittſburgh, for one third
of the ſam which it coſts him to tranſport them
by land from Philadelphia. He prefers getting
them by land, bocuuſe the route from New
York is uncertain ; his goods may be loſt, or
damaged, or delayed months beyond the time he
expect them. From Hudſon River to the
Mohawk is a portage of ten miles, or there-
abouts ; and before they can get to Oſwego are
two or three more. At Oſwego the goods
muſt be ſhipped on board a veſſel ſuitable for
navigating the lakes, where they are expoſed
to tempeſts and contrary winds. At the Falls
of Niagara is a portage of nine miles more ;
the goods muſt here be thipped again on board
a veſſel on Lake Erie, and after arriving at
Preſqu' Ifle muſt be conveyed over another
portage preparatory to their being laden in a
boat upon the Alleghany River. The whole
of this route, from New York to Pittſburgh,
is about eight hundred miles ; that from the
federal city not much more than half the diſ-
tance ; if therefore the merchant at Pittſburgh
can get his goods conveyed from New York

for one third of what he pays for the carriage

"544 of

m>CQ ww 83ÞXvJ. ewc- i

we. 4

. F232 > rn

r REN od

WATER CARRIAGE.” ' yy

of them by land from Philadelphia, he ought
not to pay more than one fixth of the ſum for
their carriage from the federal city; it is to
be concluded, therefore, that he will avail
himſelf of the latter route, as there will be no
objection to it on account of any uncertainty
in the mode of conveyance, ariſing from ſtorms

and contrary winds. |
The people in Pittſburgh, and the weſtern
country along the , waters of the Ohio, draw
their ſupplies from Philadelphia and Balti-
more; but they ſend the productions of the
country, which would be too bulky for land
carriage, down the Ohio and Miſſiſſippi to
New Orleans. From Pittſhurgh to New Or-
leans the diſtance is two thouſand one hun-
dred and eighty- three miles. On an average
it takes about twenty-eight days to go down
there with the ſtream ; but to return by water
it takes from ſixty days to three months. The
paſſage back is very laborious as well as tedi-
ous; on which account they-ſeldom think of
bringing back boats which are ſent down from
Pittſburgh, but on arriving at New Orleans
they are broken up, and theplank fold. Theſe
boats are built on the cheapeſt conſtruction,
and expreſsly for the purpoſe of going down
ſtream. The men get back the beſt way
they can, generally in ſhips bound from New
Orleans to the ſouthern ſtates, and from thence
home

76 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA;

home by land. Now, if the paſſage from the
Ohio to the Patowmac is opened, it cannot be
ſuppoſed that the people in Pittſburgh and the
vicinity will continue thus to ſend the produce
down to Orleans, from whence they cannot
bring any thing in return; they will naturally
{end to the federal city, from whence they can
draw the ſupplies they are in want of, and
which is ſo much nearer to them, that when
wa navigation is perfected it will be poſſible

to go there and back again in the ſame time
that it requires merely to go down to New
Qrleans.

But although the people of that country
which borders upon the Ohio and its waters,
in the vicinage of Pittſburgh, may have an in-
tereſt in trading to the federal city, yet thoſe
who live towards the mouth of that river will
find an intereſt equally great in trading to New
Orleans, for the Ohio River is no leſs than
eleven hundred andeighty-three miles in length.
How far down upon the Ohio a commercial
intercourſe will be kept up with the city, will
moſt probably be determined by other cir-

cumſtances than that of diſtance alone; it may

depend upon the demand there may be at one

er other port for particular articles, &c. &c.;
it may alſo depend. upon the ſeaſon; for at re-
gular periods there are floods in the Miffi-
fippi, and alſo in the Ohio, which make a
work e great

FLOODS AND EKD DRS .. 9

great difference in the time of aſcending and
defcending theſe rivers; The floods in the
Mifi:iiopt are occaſioned by the diſſolution of
the immenſe bodies of ſnow and ice accumu-
lated during winter in thoſe northern regions
through which the river paſſes; they are alſo
very regular, beginning in the month of March
and ſubſiding in July. Thoſe in the Ohio
take plage between Chriſtmas and May; but
they are not regular and ſteady like thoſe of
the Miſſiſſippi, for the water riſes and falls
many times in the courſe of the ſeaſon. Theſe
floods are occafioned by heavy falls of rain in
the beginnning of winter, as well as by the
thawing of the ice.

The Miſſiſſippi has a very winding courſe *,
and at every bend there is an eddy in the
water. Theſe eddies are always ſtrongeſt
during the inundations, conſequently it is then
a much leſs. difficult taſk to aſcend the river.
With the Ohio, however, it is directly the re-

® In the year 1722, as a party of Canadians were going
down the river, they found at one place ſuch a bend in it, that
although the diſtance acroſs land, from one part of the river to
the other, was not more perhaps than two hundred yards, yet
by water it was no leſs than forty miles The Canadians cut
2 trench acroſs the land for curioſity The ſoil bordering upon
the Miſlidippi is remarkably rich and ſoſt, and the current
being ſtrong, the river in a ſhort time forced a new paſſage for
itſelf, and the Canadians took their boat through it. This
place is called Points Coupee. There are many fimilar bends
in the river at preſent, but none ſa great.
verſe 3

|
g 2 1 4

2 ts -

: nas ˙

— — —

_ _
2 2 net, 82 2 * 8
. = * =» =A.- 48 —
; N a N -
* * 5 - — a by _—_—
. £423 4 4 * ” 4 28 — *
— . — * N g 8
2 — — — 2 a — 5

- AM 9 2
— —
=
*
4”

— e r . EE

. 83 — 2
5 . ö -

Orleans.

» TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

verſe; there are no eddies in the river; wheres
fore floods are found to facilitate the paſſage
downwards, but to render that againſt the
ſtream difficult.

Suppoſing, however, the ſeaſon favourable
for the navigation of the Miffifippi, and alſo
for the navigation of the Ohio, which it might
well be at the ſame time, then Louiſville, in

Kentucky, is the place through which the line
may be drawn that will ſeparate as nearly as
poſſible the country naturally contieted with
Waſhington from that appertaining to New!

It takes twenty days, on an average,

at the moſt favourable ſeaſon, to go from

Louiſville to New Orleans, and to return,

forty; which in the whole makes fixty days.

From the rapids in the Ohio, cloſe to which

Louiſville is ſituated, to Pittſburgh, the diſtance/

is ſeven hundred and three miles; ſo that at
the rate of thirty miles a day, which is a mo-
derate computation, it would require twenty
four days to go there. From Pittſburgh to the

Patowymac the diſtance is one hundred and

ſixty miles againſt the ſtream, which at the

ſame rate, and allowing time for the portages,
would take ſeven days more, and two hundred
and ninety miles down the Patowmac, at ſixty
miles per day, would require five days: this
is allowing thirty-five days for going, and com-

puting the time for returning at the ſame rate, ;

that |

NAVIGATIONS 7
that is thirty miles againſt the ſtream, and
ſixty miles with the ſtream, each day, it would
amount to twenty-five days, which, added to
the time of going, makes in the whole fifty-
nine days ; if the odd day be allowed for con-
tingencies, the paſſage to and from the two
places would then be exactly alike. It is fair
then to conclude, that if the demand at the
federal city for country produce be equally.
great as at New Orleans, and there is no rea-
ſon to ſay why it ſhould not, the whole of the
produce of that country, which lies contigu-
ous to the Ohio, and the rivers falling into it,
as far down as Louiſville in Kentucky, will be
ſent to the former af theſe places. This tract
is {even hundred miles in length, and from
one hundred. to two, hundred miles in breadth.
Added to this, the whole of that country lying,
near the Aileghany Raver,, and the ſtreams
that run into it, mult naturally be ſupplied
from the city; a great part of the country bor-
dering upon Lake Erie, near Preſqu' Ifle, *
likewiſe be 1ncluded.

Conſidering the vaſtneſs of the territory
which is thus, opened to the federal city by
means of a water communication; conſidering
that it is capable, from the fertility of its ſoil,
of maintaining three times the number of in-
habitants that are to be found at preſent-in all
the United States; and that it is advancing at
the

S TRAVELS THROUGH: NORTH AMERICA!

the preſent time more rapidly in population
than any other part of the whole continent;
there is a good foundation for thinking that the

Federal city, as ſoon as the navigation is per-

feed; will increaſe moſt rapidly; and that at
a future day, if the affairs of the United States

go on as proſperouſly as they have done, it

will become the grand emporium of the weſt,
and rival in magnitude and - IT the cities
an the old world.

The city is Jaid out on a heck of land be-
tween the forks formed by the eaſtern and
weſtern or main branch of Patowmac River.
This neck of land, together with an adjacent
territory, which is in the whole ten miles ſquare,
was ceded to congreſs by the ſtates of Mary-
land and Virginia. The ground on which the
city immediately ſtands was the property of
private individuals, who readily relinquiſhed

' their claim to one half of it in favour of con-

greſs, conſcious that the value of what was
left to them would increaſe, and amply com-
penſate them for their loſs. The profits

atiling from the fale that part of which has

thus been ceded to congreſs will be ſuffi-
cient, it is expected, to pay for the public
buildings, for the watering of the city, and

alſo for paving and lighting of the ſtreets.

The plan of the city was drawn by a French-

man of the name of L' Enfant, and is on a

ſcale

Y” SESSE=tSEERCU deter rc 8

| ECERSCLEEEDE CL EDU rc JP 6
— — eee eG 68 * = D

| _ EECECETEY \ CLUE LUE LoL E

y UULLUULDS3FP CELL LE of 3 -

| SOULLULOBW Soho ied :

. VESECECECD CEC Lon, 5 ;
| a F LUO B 2

8 Ou — 2 {LL 2
J 1 ESCULCLCLU CLOCLW cen

Ci COLL Sj! tas
«Ct
* 2

1
CCL
=

Statate Miles
7

* 4
1

r.
rr.
FIRFOOCEFMII

terte
i
ffn tt PFTTTEH/
rr rere TCP TFF ECT
rer rer Ferro per gr EF rr
erctprHrergd Le CREDO PAcDOnPCF,
8 FUE TLP C FT
— * — gn (al Merc. TILL LEED
m ie 7 de: Por GY reno
hs . 5 Tru pape Pg: Fr
bree OP Fall { 1 mn] ann
TAS: ca) iter bk
re T- rad 2 ECF CDN [5 #
Seer e 5
bog ATN eee DOPE |
PFE Bes =] core zo WA fl 2
rr Err: POOP POOG * |
rene = Ora TALL dels "corre N
re Err Fr * le
r e Ee Tool of af TDS *
1 — i= r
2 7
DD
188 4
EC \
EI S
Nr 0
j a
| K
*
the
with *
e
ov

— Ll r
Stockdale Pandit 1 Sep * 7 798.

> a
$ = - - | . | |
; n
i =
*
”
»
5 .
| .
.
—
»
| ©
8
o
n
| | | 4
-
o —
1
| d
S
=
| 1
| *
1 |
- 2
: .
* % | ; |
o ( | wt
| N
hy
U 99 ® as 5 = by | | | | | —
| | | = = A C 1 «+
b = _ 4 5 |
CF A | |
0 1 9 2 * _=_ |
- \ 2 1 PAY” Py 2 : \ :
% 11 & F _ = af - l : - | |
4 >» = Þ % $9.0 \ d | | |
l _ "w_ 4 F |
; s 9 o Ts \ |
Ss * |
= F by |
o
| | l 9 *
| | | , 9
LE * | |
4 l
4

* „ — — — sr N D r wa PN TT my Ar |
, = 5 1 10 F | x G ;

va”

a a” - g
of wa £ - 4
1 : | * |
1 = 7 |
a o
n ; |
8 * . p
l bY £ | :
n 4 h : Z \ = |
\ © 5 8 :
REID : —_y
\ 4 A
Dad Y
8 I =
- 4 *
oo _ C a

re — —
b» —W—3 3 ³˙·¹A 3 ESRC

6iTY OF WASHINGTON. dx

{cle well ſuited to the extent of the country,
one thouſand two hundred miles in length,
ind one thouſand in breadth, of which it is
to be the metropolis; for the ground already
marked out for it is no leſs than fourteen

in eircumference. The ftreets run
orth, ſouth, eaſt, and weſt z but to prevent
t ſameneſs neceſſarily enſuing from the
ects. all croſſing eaeh other at right angles,
number of avenues are laid out in different
arts of the city, which run tranſverſely;
nd in ſeveral places, where theſe avenues in-
erſect each other, are to be hollow | ſquares.
he ſtreets, which croſs each other at right
gles, are from ninety to one hundred feet
Wide, the avenues one hundred and ſixty feet.

ne of theſe is named after each ſtate, and a

ollow ſquare alſo allotted to each, as a
table place for ſtatues, columns, &c. which,
a future period, the people 'of any one of
Peſe ſtates may wiſh to ere&t to the me-
ory of great men that may appear in the
Wuntry. On a ſmall eminence, due weſt of
e capitol, is to be an equeſtrian ſtatue of
:neral Waſhington.
The capitol is now building upon the moſt
vated ſpot of ground in the city, which

WPpens to be in a very central fituation.

om this ſpot there is a complete view of
ry part of the city, and alſo of the ad-
Vor. I. "= jacent

etrry or WASHINGTON,

ſcale well ſuited to the extent of the country,
dne thouſand two hundred miles in length,

o be the metropolis; for the ground already
Wnarked out for it is no leſs than fourteen
Wniles in eireumference. The ſtreets run
orth, ſouth, eaſt, and weſt; but to prevent

treets all croſſing each other at right angles,
number of avenues are laid out in different
arts of the city, which run tranſverſely;
d in ſeveral places, where theſe avenues in-

he ſtreets, which croſs each other at right
ples, are from ninety to one hundred feet
ide, the avenues one hundred and ſixty feet.
ne of theſe is named after each ſtate, and a
plow. ſquare alſo allotted to each, as a
table place for ſtatues, columns, &c. which,
a future period, the people 'of any one of
eſe ſtates may wiſh to eret to the me-
ory of great men that may appear in the
untry. On a ſmall eminence, due weſt of
: capitol, is to be an equeſtrian ſtatue of
neral Waſhington.

The capitol is now building upon the moſt

Wpens to be in a very central fituation.
om this ſpot there is a complete view of
ry part of the city, and alſo of the ad-
Vor. I. G jacent

and one thouſand in breadth, of which it is

t ſameneſs neceſſarily enſuing from the

ſet each other, are to be hollow ſquares.

vated ſpot of ground in the city, which

TO EIT Dr TS ©
= FRY 22 n LM =

22 TRAVELS THROUGH: NORTH AMERTCA:

jacent country. In the capito] are” &*be
ſpacious apartments for the accominoU tion
of congreſs ; in it alſo are to be the prinei-
pal public offices in the executive department
of the government, together with the courts
of juſtice. The plan on which this building
is begun is grand and extenſive; the expenſe
of building it is eſtimated at a million of dol-
lars, equal to two hundred and eee
thouſand pounds ſterling. | f
The houſe for the reſidence of the prefident
ſtands north-weſt of the capitol, at the diſtance
of about one mile and a half. It is ſituated
upon A rifing ground not far from the Pi.
towmac, and commands a moſt beautiful proſ-
pect of the river, and of the rich country be-
yond it. One hundred acres of ground, to-
wards the river, ate left adjoining to the
houſe for - pleaſure grounds. South of thi
there is to be a large park or mall, which i
to run in an eaſterly direction from the rive
to the capitol. The: buildings on either ſide
of this mall are all to be elegant in the
kind; amongſt the number it is propoſed to
have houſes built at the public expenſe: fo
the accommodation of. the foreign miniſter
&c. On the caſtern branch a large ſpot is hit
out for a marine hoſpital and gardens. Va-
rious.other. parts are appointed for churches

theatres,” colleges, &c, The ground in ge-
neil

F ̃᷑ , ICS

ERECTION S, 7 83

neral, within the limits of the city, is agtee-
ably undulated; but none of the riſings are
ſo great as to become objects of inconvenience
in a town. The foil is chiefly of a yellowiſh
clay mixed with gravel. There are numbers
of excellent ſprings in the city, and water is
readily had in moſt places by digging wells.
Here are two ſtreams likewiſe, which run
through the city, Reedy Branch, and Tiber
Creek. The perpendicular height of the
ſource of the latter, above the level of the tide,
is two hundred and thirty-ſix feet.

By the regulations publithed, it was ſettled
that all the houſes ſhould be built of brick
or ſtone; the walls to be thirty feet high,
and to be built parallel to the line of the
ſtreet, but either upon it or withdrawn from
it, as ſuited the taſte of the builder. How-
ever, numbers of wooden habitations have been
built; but the different owners have all been
cautioned againſt conſidering them as perma-
nent. They are to be allowed for a certain
term only, and then deſtroyed. Three com-

Upon the granting poſſeſſion of waſte lands to any perſon,
commonly called the Zxcatton of lands, it is uſual- to give par-
ticular names to different ſpots, and alſo to the creeks, and
rivers. On the original location of the ground now-allotted
for the ſeat of the federal city, this creek received the name of
Tiber Creek, and the identical ſpot of ground on which the
capitol now lands was called Rome. This anecdote is related

by many as a certain prognoſtic of the future magnificence of
this city, which is to be, as it were, a ſecond Rome,

G2 miſſions

. _—
* __ CRIES

"$4 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

miſſioners, who reſide on the ſpot, are ap-
pointed by the preſident, with a ſalary, for the
purpoſe of ſuperintending the public and
other buildings, and regulating every thing
pertaining to the city.

The only public buildings carrying on as
yet, are the preſident's houſe, the capitol, and
a large hotel. The preſident's houſe, which
is nearly completed on the outſide, is two

ſtories high, and built of free ſtone. The

principal room in it is of an oval form. This
is undoubtedly the handſomeſt building in the

country, and the architecture of it is much
extolled by the people, who have never ſeen

any thing ſuperior ; but it will not bear a crĩ-

tical examination. Many perſons find fault
with it, as being too large and too ſplendid for
the reſidence of any one perſon in a republi-

can country; and certainly it is a ridiculous

habitation for a man who receives a ſalary
that amounts to no more than . 5, 62 5 ſter-
ling per annum, and in a country where the
expences of living are far greater than they
are even in London.

The hotel is a large building of brick, or-
namented with ſtone; it ſtands between the
preſident's houſe and the capitol. In the be-
ginning of the year 1796, when I laſt ſaw it,
it was roofed in, and every exertion making to

have it finiſhed with the utmoſt expedition.
It

ley

BUILDINGS. 85
It is any thing but beautiful. The capitol,
at the ſame period, was raiſed only a very
little way above the foundation.

The ſtone, which the preſident's houſe is
built with, and ſuch as will be uſed for all the
public buildings, is very ſimilar in appearance
to that found at Portland in England; but I
was informed by one of the ſculptors, who
had frequently worked the Portland ſtone in
England, that it is of a much ſuperior qua-
lity, as it will bear to be cut as fine as mar-
ble, and 1s not liable to be injured by rain or
froſt, On the banks of the Patowmac they
have inexhauſtible quarries of this ſtone ; good
ipecimens of common marble have alſo been
found ; and there 1s in various parts of the
river abundance of excellent ſlate, paving ſtone,
and lime ſtone. Good coal may alſo be had.

The private houſes are all plain buildings ;
moſt of them have been built on ſpeculation,
and ſtill remain empty. The greateſt num-
ber, at any one place, is at Green Leafs
Point, on the main river, juſt above the en-
trance of the eaſtern branch. This ſpot has
been looked upon by many as the moſt con-
venient one for trade; but others prefer the
ſhore of the eaſtern branch, on account of the
luperiority of the harbour, and the great depth
of the water near the ſhore. There are
ſeveral other favourite ſituations, the choice

G 3 of

4
Z

= 2 1 - Ah _ a a —_ + _ „ 111 . 2 = Ah 2 4 9 < = & M*- = Kn 8 _ W
N l w "—- = + A. Lo __ * 6 i 2 2 5 = N 4 1 —- : -
—— 9 - =>
= => - * 1 —
— Ha — SO — — 9
4 — — %
= = — on

86 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

of any one of which is a mere matter of ſpe-
culation at preſent. Some build near the ca-
pitol, as the moſt convenient place for the
refidence of members of congreſs, ſome near
the preſident's houſe ; others again prefer the
weſt end of the city, in the neighbourhood of
George Town, thinking that as trade is al-
ready eſtabliſhed in that place, it muſt be from
thence that it will extend into the city, Were
the houſes that have been built ſituated in one
place all together, they would make a very
reſpectable appearance, but ſtattered about as
they are, a ſpectator can ſcarcely perceive any
thing like a town. Excepting the ſtreets and
avenues, and a ſmall part of the ground ad-
joining the public buildings, the whole place
is covered with trees. To be under the ne-
ceſſity of going through a deep wood for ons
or two mules, perhaps, in order to ſee a next
door neighbour, and in the ſame city, is a cu-
rious, and, I believe, a novel circumſtance,
The number of inhabitants in the city, in the
ſpring of 4796, amounted to about five thou-

ſand, including artificers, who formed by far |
the largeſt part of that number, - Numbers :
of ſtrangers are continually paſſing and re- x
paſſing through a place which affords ſuch an ,
extenſive field for ſpeculation. ,

In addition to what has already been ſaid bs
upon ihe ſubject, I have only to obſerve, that ,

notwith-

CITY OF WASHINGTON. $7

notwithſtanding all that has been: done at the
city, and the large ſums of money which have
been expended, there are numbers of people
in the United States, living to the north of the
Patowinac, particularly in Philadelphia, who
are ſtill very adverſe to the removal of the feat
of government thither, and are doing all in
their power to check the progreſs of the build-
ings in the city, and to prevent the congreſs
from meeting there at the appointed time. In
the ſpring of 1796, when I was laſt on the ſpot,
the building of the capitol was abſolutely at
a ſtand for want of money ; the public lots
were at a very low price, and the commiſſioners
were unwilling to diſpoſe of them; in con-
ſequence they made an application to con-
greſs, praying the houſe to guaranty a loan of
thrce handred thouſand dollars, without which
they could not go on with the public buildings,
except they dil Doſe of the lots to great diſ-
advantage, and to the ultimate injury of the
city; ſo ſtrong, however, was the oppoſition,
that the petition was ſuffered to he on the
table unattended to for many weeks ; nor was
the prayer of it complied with until a number
of gentlemen, that were very deeply iatereſted
in the improvement of the city, went round
to the different members, and made intereſt
with them in perſon to give their aſſent to the
meaſure. Theſe people, who ate oppoſed to the

building of the city of Waſhington maintain,
G 4 *

83 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

that it can never become a town of any im-
portance, and that all ſuch as think to the
contrary have been led aſtray: by the repreſen-

tations of a few enthuſiaſtic perſons ; they. ga

ſo far even as to aſſert, that the people to the
eaſtward will never ſubmit to ſee the ſeat of
government removed fo far from them, and
the congreſs aſſembled in a place little better
than a foreſt, where it will be impoſſible to
procure information upon commercial points;
finally, they inſiſt, that if the removal from
Philadelphia ſhould take place, a ſeparation of
the ſtates will inevitably follow. This is the
language held forth; but their oppoſition in
reality ariſes from that jealouſy which narrow
minded people in trade are but too apt to en-
tertain of each other when their intereſts claſh
together. Theſe people wiſh to cruſh the city
of Waſhington while it is yet in its infancy,
becauſe they know, that if the ſeat of govern»
ment is transferred thither, the place will
thrive, and enjoy a conſiderable portion of that

trade which is centered at preſent in Philadel-

phia, Baltimore, and New York. It is idle,
however, to imagine that this will injure their
different towns; on the contrary, although a
portion of that trade which they enjoy at pre-
ſent ſhould be drawn from them, yet the in-
creaſe of population in that part of the coun-
try, which they muſt naturally ſupply, w1ll be

ſuch

DISC ONTENT S. 29

ſuch, that their trade on the whole will, in all
probability, be found far more extenſive after
the federal city is eſtabliſhed than it ever was
before.

A large majority, however, of the people in
the United States is defirous that the remoyal
of the ſeat of government ſhould take place;
and there is little doubt that it will take place
at the appointed time. The diſcontents in-
deed, which an oppoſite meaſure would give
riſe to in the ſouth could not but be alarming,

and if they did not occaſion a total ſeparation

of the ſouthern from the northern ſtates, yet
they would certainly materially deſtroy that
harmony which has hitherto exiſted between
them,

99 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA;

LETTER v.

Some Account of Alexandria.— Mount Vernon,
the Seat of General Waſhington. Difficulty
of finding the Way thither through the Woods,
— Deſcription of the Mount, and of the Views
from it, — Deſcription of the Houſe and
Grounds.— Siaves at Mount Vernon.—
Thoughts thereon. —A Perſon at Mount Ver-
non to attend to Strangers.—Return to M. aft
ington.

MY DEAR SIR, Waſhington, December.

FROM Waſhington I proceeded to Alex»
andria, ſeven miles lower down the river,
which is one of the neateſt towns in the United
States. The houſes are moſtly brick, and
many of them are extremely well built. The
ſtreets interſect each other at right angles;
they are commodious and well paved. Nine
miles below this place, on the banks of the
Patowmac, ſtands Mount Vernon, the ſeat of
General Waſhington; the way to it, however,
from Alexandria, by land, is conſiderably far-
ther, on account of the numerous creeks which
fall into the Patowmac, and the mouths of
which it is impoſſible to paſs near to.
Very thick woods remain ſtanding within
four or five miles of the place; the roads
through

MOUNT VERNON... _
through them are very bad, and ſo many of

them croſs one another in different directions,
that it is a matter of very great difficulty to
find out the right one. I ſet out from Alex.
andria with a gentleman who thought himſelf
perfectly well acquainted with the way; had
he been ſo, there was ample time to have
reached Mount Vernon betore the cloſe of the
day, but night overtook us wandering about
in the woods. We did not perceive the veſ-
tice of a human being to ſet us right, and we
were preparing to paſs the night in the car-
riage, when luckily a light appeared at ſome
diſtance through the trees ; it was from a ſmall
farmhouſe, the only one in the way for ſeveral
miles; and having made our way to it, partly
in the carriage, partly on foot, we hired a ne-
gro-for a guide, who conducted us to the place
of our deſtination in about an hour. The next
morning I heard of a gentleman, who, a day or
two preceding, bad 'been from ten o'clock in
the morning till four in the afternoon on horſe-
back, unable to fing out the place, although
within three or fot miles of it the whole
time. | |

The Mount is a high part of the bank of
the river, which riſes very abruptly about two
hundred feet above the level of the water.
The river before it is three miles wide, and

on the oppoſite ſide it forms a bay about the

1 ſame

ay —— — e _ —— . —
_ A n 4 * 2 1 — w *
. _ — - — — - — _ = -

9% TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

ſame breadth, which extends for a conſidera-
ble diſtance up the country. This, at firſt
fight, appears to be a continuation of the
river; but the Patowmac takes a very ſudden
turn to the left, two or three miles above the
houſe, and is quickly loſt to the view. Down-
wards, to the right, there is a proſpect of it
for twelve miles. The Maryland ſhore, on
the oppoſite fide, is beautifully diverſified with
hills, which are moſtly covered with wood;
in many places, however, little patches of cul-
tivated groundappear, ornamented with houſes.
The feenery altogether: is moſt.; delightful.
The houſe; which ſtands about ſixty yards from

the edge of the Mount, is of wood, cut and
painted ſo as to reſemble hewn ſtone. The
rear is towards the river, at which ſide is
portico of ninety-fix feet in length, ſupparted
by eight pillars. The front is uniform, and at
a diſtance. looks tolerably well. The dwel=
ling houſe is in the centef and communicates
with the wings on either de, by means of
covered Ways, running ig curved direction.
Behind theſe wings, on g one fide, are the il
different offices belonging to the houſe, and
alſo to the farm, and on the other, the cabins
er hs Saen In. s the breadth of the
: hal

* Theſe are 3 the firſt of the buildings which are
ſeen on coming to Mount Vernon; and it is not without
aſtoniſhment

1 4 1
LUN | nhl
l 177 1

A”
—

G M1 G
\ | [1
1. |
it) | |
14
1
| 1
[it |
11
1
| G $1
|
l
11461 54] Manage
1 $4434 14
l | 330.37
| TOTES? it
| :
wth l It l
' nnen
Wee. "?
— \ l
:
i 1
1
6
17
| 11
| þ|
| Ant
| *
4 | |
WI 0
ill
:
9 |
lil
/ Tink
|
Is, 1 14
\
:
1
1114
it : $4541 KEEL $4
|

—
—

* al”

?
{

VIEW y MOUN'T VERNON, A. coat of G.

tb. ad - tal * ö N

<a eb or ' \ _
*
* 4 — 0
-
—_— ; *
-
£
: x
Z 2
0
ü
p * ; 957, p | . N | 1 ö *
ij a
- .
le .
*
- 1
N
1 .
AT
A
*
*
*.
10 6 Me
7 Ne 0
+ 4 4 l W 4
„ F pe WY 7 a+ J
— „ 6 *
, * N 54
1 - Wet ti \
J. i :
i 1 ' 1
7 . h 5 1 .
{ { , 4 1
1 %
i o p i, / #1 il IN
: TH, 18
o { 1 Ti _ =
( J M wo 1
* 7 4 „ / 4M ii ' 11
VI. fl 20010; {>
0, iT 1 " \ 7 <1
1 2 PF * *
4 1 14.0
1/4 le 10 i” Hun |
WA i, d | A) FH 0 „ " i well | ol i \ Wh Hi
5 | | 75 ot nil In | „
it — — em Ln nunmal 1441 144444 $441 44 $445 144444444 =» 2
4 6 AY 7 — T7 n ' $41 +4 $41 441 if 14 ry N
TTL 18 TIT) . WA RH Kn .
* , U 1 f þ WA! 4 "* "te \ ti!
: l Wis l l : : l l il l
{ 1. i Th l \
WEEN N Me Iſt .
TI)", l HL l | | l
o is I» n 1
DEM! ' , k 4 THT
4 v i! 114 4 kf l l ,
- $346 v1 „ La } * 1
: {MM f | f I 1
Tf Th ih F
[Ll 4 hk 9 4 f bY & //
FF -
17 7 a —
o 5 M , 15 M4 l - 14 -
| * K "ve e Jt. l F * WH! : l
, , eee :
F (hk U 75 7 —
0 16 F 7 + 4
4 (l! | 4 #l, |
" fy l i 4 | WT
C WW; # Wy i | 11 .
7 FIT" 774 * 7 Ul 4
ti 7 My *
it " P 1 / i : l : :
1 65 7 777 p |
- sf 7 n i .
| 1% "W %
rr of i 3; „
WH #/ * 7 1606 UN | : *
„ 57 , id * .
70 1 , if MU 75 mol } 7
77 75 SHI). | W N it |
„„ j *7 [ HL 1 M0 l l .
» WA) t J 4.400 Wal | ©
5 Tia | l } $47 75 ! ;
5 „ 4 A 1 4 7 x
79 1% , |
5 ſ G \ BI} WO G ö
1 # Mie L l l DJ
#1 \ l 75 *
Wert "min | One ii |
j Me Aae | 1
4

__— —_

hq vv. ole nat ar we

—=—S

oy
9

W
4

MOUNT VERNON. *

whole building, is a lawn with a gravel walk

round it, planted with trees, and ſeparated by
aftoniſhment and regret they are ſurveyed by the ſtranger,
whoſe mind has dwelt with admiration upon the ineſtimable
bleſſings of liberty, whilſt approaching the reſidence: of that
man who has diſtinguiſhed himſelf fo glonouſly in its cauſe.
Happy would it have been, if the man who ſtood forth the
champion of a nation contending for its freedom, and whoſe de-
claration to the whole world was, © That all men were created
« equal, and that they were endowed by their Creator with cer-
« tain unalienable, rights, amongſt the firſt of which were life,
liberty, and the purſuit of happineſs;** happy would it have
been, if this man could have been the firſt-to wave all intereſted -
views, to liberate his own ſlaves, and thus convince the people
he had fought for, that it was their duty, when they had
eſtabliſhed their own independence, to give freedom to -
whom they had themſelves held in bondage ! !

But material objections, we muſt ſuppoſe, appeared pb Of
ſuch a meaſure, otherwiſe, doubtleſs, General Waſhington
would have ſhewn the glorious example. Perhaps he thought
it more for the general good, that the firft ſtep for the eman-
cipation of ſlaves ſhould be taken by the legiſlative aſſembly;
or perhaps there was reaſon to apprehend, that the enfranchiſe-
ment of his own flaves might be the cauſe of inſurrections
amongſt others who were not hberated, a matter which could
not but be attended with evil conſequences in a country where
the number of {ſlaves exceeded that of freemen; however, it
does not appear that any meaſures have been purſued, either
by private individuals or by the legiſlature in Virginia, for the
abolition of ſlavery ; neither have any ſteps been taken for the
purpoſe in Maryland, much leſs in the more ſouthern ftates;
but in Pennſylvania and the reſt, laws have paſſed for its gra-
dual abolition. In theſe ſtates the number of ſlaves, it is true,
was very ſmall, and the meaſure was therefore eafily carried
into effect; in the others then it will require more conſideration.
The plan, however, which has been adopted for the liberation
of the few has ſucceeded well; why then not try it with a
larger number? If it does not anſwer, ſtill I cannot but ſup-

pole

. "=

1
ns

garden. As for the garden, it wears exactly

T A a ard: 4

r
i A 4 By —» 0 Wy = ay 1

*
5 [

„ TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA +
hedges on either fide from the farm yard and

the appearance of à nurſery, and with every
thing about the place indicates that more at-
tention is paid to profit than to pleaſure. The
ground in the rear of the houſe is alſo laid out
in a lawn, and the declivity of the Mount,
towards the water, in a deer park. *
The rooms in the houſe are very ſmall,

excepting one, which has been built fince the
cloſe of the war for the purpoſe of entertain-
ments. All of theſe are very plainly furniſhed,
and in many of them the furniture is drops
ping to pieces. Indeed, the cloſe attention

which General Waſhington has ever paid to
public affairs having obliged him to reſide

principally at Philadelphia, Mount Vernon has
conſequently ſuffered very materially. The

houſe and offices, with every other part of the
place, are out of repair, and the old part of the
building is in ſuch a periſhable ſtate, that I
have been told he wiſhes be had pulicd it en-

tirely down at firſt, and built a new houſe, in-

poſe. that it might be ſo modified as to be rendered applicable
to the enfranchiſement of the number of ill-fated beings. who
are enſlaved in the ſouthern parts of the country, let it be
ever ſo large. However, that there will be aa end to ſlavery
in the United States, on ſome day or other, cannot be doubted;
negroes will not remain deaf to the inviting call of libercy for
ever; and if their avaricious oppreſſors do not free them flom
the galling yoke, they will liberate themſelves with a vengeauce.

ſtead

MOUNT VERNON. 95
ſtead of making any addition to the old one.
The grounds in the neighbourhood are cul-
tivated, but the principal farms are at the diſ-
tance of two or three miles.

As almoſt every ſtranger going through the
country makes a, point of viſiting Mount Ver-
non, a perſon is kept at the houſe during
General Waſhington's abſence, whoſe ſole bu-
fineſs it is to attend to ſtrangers. Imme-
diately on our arrival every care was taken of
our horſes, beds were prepared, and an ex-
cellent ſupper provided for us, with claret and
other wine, &c. | 1

As the ſeaſon was now too far advanced to
ſee the country to advantage, I proceeded no
farther in Virginia than Mount Vernon, but
returned again to the city of Waſhipgton.

88 n 9

n *

F PIE Ro ode. Ld ona ters oo ona aL
* * P . = CO. FS TT SL LITE

3 r „
1 FRET = 4
= *
1

15 1

LETTER. VI.

Arrival at Philadelpbia.— Same Obſervations off
the Climate of the Middle States. — Public
Carriages prevented from plying between Bats
timore and Philadelphia by the Badneſs of the
Roads. Let Baltimore during Fro/}.-— Met
with American Travellers on the Road.
Their Behaviour preparatory to ſetting off
from an Inn.— Arrival on the Banks of the
Suſquebannah — Paſſage of that River when
frozen over. — Dangerous Situation of the
Paſſengers.— American Travellers at the

Tavern on the oppoſite Side of 4a River. —
Their noiſy Diſputationt.

MY DEAR SIR, Philadelptita, February. -

F in TER having ſpent ſome weeks in Waſh-

ington, George Town, and Baltimore,
I fet out for this city, where I arrived four
days ago.

The months of October and November are
the moſt agreeable, in the middle and ſouth-
ern. ſtates, of any in the year ; the changes
in the weather are then leſs frequent, and
for the moſt part the air is temperate and the

ſky ſerene. During this year the air was fo

mild, that when I was at George Town, even
as late as the ſecond week in December, it
was

|
)
;

W1ND 6 97
was found pleaſant to keep the windows up
during dinner time. This, however, was an
unuſual circumſtance.

In Maryland, before December was over,
there were a few'cold days, and during Janu-
ary we had 'two or three different falls of
ſnow ; but for the moſt part the weather re-
mained very mild until the latter end of Janu-
ary, when a ſharp north-weſt wind ſet in.
The keenneſs of this wind in winter is pro-

digious, and ſurpaſſes every thing of the kind

which we have an idea of in England. When-
ever it blows, during the winter months, a
froſt immediately takes place. In the courſe

of three days, in the preſent inſtance, the

Suſquehannah and Delaware rivers were frozen
over; a fall of ſnow took place, which re-
mained on the ground about two feet deep,
and there was every appearance of a ſevere
and tedious winter. Before five days, how-
ever, were over, the wind again changed, and
ſo ſudden was the thaw that the ſhow diſap-
peared entirely on the ſecond day, and not a
veſtige of the froſt was to be ſeen, except-
ing in the rivers, where large pieces of ice re-
mained floating about. |

It was about the middle of December when

I reached Baltimore; but I was deterred from

going on to Philadelphia until the froſty
weather ſhould ſet in, by the badneſs of the
Vol. I. H Roads ;

ERR d , ES... _ +» 2 91. WR. 9 en
CA 2 5 R 3 ' 1 ——— wy " r 2 "RR MR. LMS F 9
„ : Sy ge WORE CEY - ” COM 9 * R "a. = R
_— 1 4 RX TE = * 1 * os} 1 „ = * oy 5 1 We « 3 3 .
= * * N —_— Y | - b Lo 2 A i — k
& di 1 „ N a P ld ” b . d i Die b => do 4 Fo ATI TY > 4 \ * *
l =E = b * "TY — 7 * i 1 W ST F l =T |
_— 5 N ä n

9 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

roads ; for they were in ſuch a ſtate; that even
the public ſtages were prevented from plying
for the ſpace of ten or twelve days. The
froſt ſoon dried them, and rendered them as
good as in ſummer. I ſet out when it was
moſt ſevere. At day break, the morning after
I left Baltimore, the thermometer, according
to Farenheit, ſtood at 77. I never obſervetit
ſo low during any other part of the winter.
Several travellers had ſtopped at the ſame
houſe that I did the firſt night I was on the
road, and we all breakfaſted together prepa-
ratory to ſetting out the next morning. The
American travellers, before they purſued: their
journey, took a hearty draught each, according
to cuſtom, of egg-nog, a mixture compoſed of
new milk, eggs, rum, and ſugar, beat up to-
gether; they appeared to be at no ſmall pains
alſo in fortifying themſelves againſt the ſe-
verity of the weather with great coats and

wrappers over each other, woollen ſocks and I

trowſers over their boots, woollen mittens Y

over their gloves, and filk handkerchiefs tied y

over their ears and mouths, &c: ſo that no- I

thing could be ſeen excepting their noſes and WI ”

their eyes. It was abſolutely a ſubject of di- w

verſion to me, and to a young gentleman juſt WW ':

arrived from the Weſt Indies, who accom- he

panied me from Baltimore, to fee the great It
en

care with which they wrapped themſelves -up,
for

INTENSE cOILI D. 29

far we both found ourſelves ſufficiently warm
in common clothing. It teems, however, to
be a matter generally allowed, that ſtrangers,
even from the Weſt Indies, unaccuſtomed- to
intenſe cold, do not ſuffer ſo much from the
ſeverity of the winter, the firſt year of their
arrival in America, as the white people who
have been born in the country. Every per-
ſon that we met upon the road was wrapped
up much in the fame manner as the travels
lers who breakfaſted with us, and had ſilk
handkerchiefs tied round their heads; fo as
to cover their mouths and ears. |
About the middle of the day we arrived at
the Suſquchannab, and, as we expected to
find it, the river was frozen entirely over.
In what manner we were to get acroſs was
now the queſtion. The people at the ferry-
houſe were of opinion that the ice was not ſuf-
ficiently ſtrong to bear in every part of the
river; at the ſame time they ſaid, it was {0
very thick near the ſhores, that it would be
impracticable to cut a paſſage through it be-
fore the day was over; however, as a great
number of travellers deſirous of getting acroſs
was collected together, and as all of them
were much averſe to remaining at the ferry-
houſe till the next morning, by which time
it was ſuppoſed that the ice would be ſtrong
enough to bear in every part, the people were
H 2 at

0 * * 5 3 o

8 * * a; Ve 2 -
7 „„ n Ty 3 9 Pe. _ +. * *
0 * ff * N

e
= ns” w= l = 3
i >. fe

FERRY * * WV

Pn
„

E
.

"wx. Aa LAY Re OE nd

2% EA $7 IF * 3
N FR - ©

1 = a W

100 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

at laſt over- ruled, and every thing was pre-

pared for cutting a way acroſs the river.

The paſſengers were about twelve in num-
ber, with four horſes; the boat's crew con-
fiſted of ſeven blacks ; three of whom, with
large clubs, ſtood upon the bow of the boat,
and broke the ice, whilſt the others, with
iron-headed poles, puſhed the boat forwards,
So very laborious was the taſk which the
men at the bow had to perform, that it was
neceſſary for the others to relieve them every
ten minutes. At. the end of half an hour
their hands, arms, faces, and hats, were glazed
entirely over with a thick coat of ice, formed
from the water which was daſhed up by the
reiterated ſtrokes of their clubs. Two hours
elapſed before one half of the way was broken;
the ice was found much thicker than had been
unagined ; the clubs were ſhivered to pieces;
the men were quite exhauſted ; and having
ſuffered the boat to remain ſtationary for a
minute or two in a part where the ice was
remarkably thick, it was frozen up, ſo that
the ntmoſt exertions of the crew and paſſen-
gers united were unable to extricate it. In
this predicament a council was held ; it was
impoſſible to move either backward or for-
ward; the boat was half a mile from the
ſhore ; no one would attempt to walk there
on the ices to remain all night in the boat

would

1 hes. «a.

* . EA -.2C

EE 5 CEC att.

THE SUSQUEHANNAH. 201

would be death. Luckily I had a pair of piſtols
in my holſters, and having fired a few ſignals,
the attention of the people on ſhore was at-
tracted towards us, and a ſmall batteau, which
is a light boat with a flat bottom, was diſ-
patched for our relief. This was not ſent,
however, for the purpoſe of bringing a fingle
perſon back again, but to aſſiſt us in getting
to the oppoſite ſhore. It was ſlipped along
a-head of the large boat, and two or three
men having ſtepped into it, rocked it about
from fide to ſide until the ice was ſufficiently
broken for the large boat to follow. The bat-
teau was now in the water, and the men ſeat-
ing themſelves as much as poſſible towards
the ſtern, by ſo doing raiſed the bow of it
conſiderably above the ice; by means of boat
hooks it was then pulled on the ice again, and
by rocking it about as before a paſſage. was
as eaſily opened. In this manner we got on,
and at the end of three hours and ten minutes
found ourſelves again upon dry land, fully pre-
pared for enjoying the pleaſures of a bright
firefide and a good dinner. The people at the
tavern had ſeen us coming acroſs, and had
accordingly prepared for our reception; and as
each individual thought he had travelled quite
far enough that day, the paſſengers remained
together till the next morning.

H 3 At

e — CORES = >a fon a *
e r N — ,- LS PW
SR I CET

10 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

At the American taverns, as I before men-
tioned, all forts of people, juſt as they happen
to arrive, are crammed together into the one
room, where they muſt reconcile themſelves
to each' other the beſt way they can. On the
preſent occaſion, the company conſiſted of
about thirteen people, amongſt whom were
ſome eminent lawyers from Virginia and the
ſouthward, together with a judge of the ſu-
preme court, who were going to Philadel-

phia againſt the approaching ſeſſions: it was

not, however, till after I quitted their com-
pany that I heard who they were; for theſe

kind of gentlemen in America are fo very

plain, both in their appearance and manners,
that 2 ſtranger would not ſuſpect that they
were perſons of the conſequence which they
really are in the country. There were alſo
in the company two or three of the neigh-
bouring farmers, booriſh, ignorant, and ob-
truſive fellows. It is ſcarcely poſſible for 2
dozen Americans to fit together without
quarrelling about politics, and the Britiſh
treaty, which had juſt been ratified, now
gave riſe to a long and acrimonious debate.
The farmers were of one opinion, and gab-
bled away for a long time ; the lawyers and
the judge were of another, and in turns they
roſe to anſwer their opponents with all the

power of rhetoric which they poſſeſſed,
Neither

DISPUTATIONS; 103

Neither party could ſay any thing to change
the ſentiments of the other one; the noiſy con-
teſt laſted till late at night, when getting
heartily tired they withdrew, not to their re-
ſpective chambers, but to the general one that
held five or ſix beds, and in which they laid
down in pairs. Here the converſation was
again revived, and purſued with as much noiſe
as below, till at laſt ſleep cloſed their eyes, and
happily their mouths at the ſame time; for
could they have talked in their ſleep, I verily
believe they would have prated on until mor-
ning. Thanks to our ſtars ! my friend and

I gat the only two-bedded room in the houſe
to ourſelves, The next morning I left the

banks of the Suſquehannah, and the ſucceed-
ing day reached Philadelphia,

tog TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

LE T-F:&:K- VI.

Philadelphia gayer in the Winter than at any
other Seaſon.— Celebration in that City f
General Waſhington's Birth Day.—Some
Account of General Waſhington's Perſon and
of his Charafter*— Americans diſſatisfied with
bis Conduct as Prefident.—A Spirit of Diſ-
ſatigfaction common among jt them.

MY DEAR SIR, Philadelphia, February,

HILADELPHIA now wears a very
different aſpect to what it did when 1
landed there in the month of November.
Both congreſs and the ſtate aſſembly are ſit-
ting, as well as the ſupreme federal court.

The city is full of ſtrangers ; the theatres are

open; and a variety of public and private
amuſements are going forward. On General
Waſhington's birth day, which was a few days

ago, this city was nua gay * every per-
3 0 ſon

* On this day General Waſhington terminated his ſixty-
fourth year; but though not an unhealthy man, he ſeemed
conſiderably older. The innumerable vexations he has met
with in his different public capacities have very ſenſibly im-
paired the vigour of his conſtitution, and given him an aged ap-
pearance. - There is a very material difference, however, in his

looks when ſeen in private and when he appears in public full
dreſt ;

r ad” io” es

GENERAL WASHINGTON. + 10g

ſon of conſequence in it, Quakers alone ex-
cepted, made it a point to viſit the. General on
| this

dreſt ; in the latter caſe the hand of art makes up for the ra-
vages of time, and he ſeems many years younger.

Few perſons find themſelves for the firſt time in the pre-
ſence of General Waſhington, a man ſo renowned in the pre-
ſent day for his wiſdom and moderation, and whoſe name will
be tranſmitted with ſuch honour to poſterity, without being im-
preſſed with a certain degree of veneration and awe; nor da
theſe emotions ſubſide on a cloſer acquaintance; on the con-
trary, his perſon and deportment are ſuch as rather tend to
augment them, There is ſomething very auſtere in his coun -
tenance, and in his manners be is uncommonly reſerved, I
have heard ſome officers, that ſerved immediately under his com-
mand during the American war, ſay, that they never ſaw him
ſmile during all the time that they were with him. No man has
ever yet been connected with him by the reciprocal and un-
conſtrained ties of friendſhip; and but a few can boaſt even of
having been on an eaſy and familiar footing with him.

The height of his perſon is about five feet eleven; his cheſt
is full; and his limbs, though rather ſlender, well ſhaped and
muſcular, His head is ſmall, in which reſpect he reſembles the
make of a great number of his countrymen. His eyes are of a
light grey colour ; and, in proportion to the length of his face,
his noſe is long. Mr. Stewart, the eminent portrait painter,
told me, that there are features in his face totally diferent
from what he ever obſerved in that of any other human being:
the ſockets for the eyes, for inſtance, are larger than what he
ever met with before, and the upper part of the noſe broader.
All his features, he obſerved, were indicative of the ſtrongeſt
and moſt ungovernable paſſions, and. had he been born in the
foreſts, it was his opinion that he would haye been the fierceſt
man amongſt the ſavage tribes. In this Mr. Stewart has given
a proof of his great diſcernment and intimate knowledge of
the human countenance; for although General Waſhington
has been extolled for his great moderation and calmneſs, during
the very trying ſituations in which he has ſo often been placed,
yet thoſe who have been acquainted with him the longeſt and

moſt

166 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

this day. As early as eleven o'clock in the
morning he was prepared to receive them,
and

moſt intimately ſay, that he is by nature a man of a fierce and

irritable diſpoſition, but that, like Socrates, his judgment and
great ſelf-command have always made him appear a man of a
different caſt in the eyes of the world, He ſpeaks with great

diffidence, and ſometimes heſitates for a word; but it is always
to find one particularly well adapted to his meaning. Hig

Janguage is manly and expreflive, At levee, his diſcourſe with
rangers turns principally upon the ſubject of America; and

if they have been through any remarkable places, his conver-
ſation is free and particularly intereſting, as he is intimately

acquainted with every part of the country, He is much more
open and free in his behaviour at levee than in private, and in
the company of ladies ſtill more ſo than when ſolely with men.

General Waſhington gives no public dinners or other en-
tertainments, except to thoſe who are in diplomatic capacities,
and to a few families on terms of intimacy with Mrs. Waſhing-

ton, Strangers, with whom he wiſhes to have ſome conver-
ſation about agriculture, or any ſuch ſubject, are ſometimes in-

vited to tea. This by many is attributed to his ſaving diſpo-
ſition; but it is more juſt to aſcribe it to his prudence and fore-
fight; for as the ſalary of the preſident, as I have before ob-
ſerved, is very ſmall, and totally inadequate by itſelf to ſupport
an expenſive ſtyle of life, were he to give numerous and ſplen-
did entertainments, the ſame might poſſibly be expected from
ſubſequent preſidents, who, if their private fortunes were not
conſiderable, would be unable to live in the ſame ſtyle, and
might be expoſed to many ill-natured obſervations, from the

relinquiſhment of what the people had been accuſtomed to; it

is molt likely alſo that General Waſhington has been aRuated
by theſe motives, becauſe in his private capacity at Mount
Vernon every ſtranger meets with a hoſpitable reception from
him.

General Waſhington's ſelf-moderation is well known to the
world already. It is a remarkable circumſtance, which re-
dounds to his eternal honour, that while preſident of the United

States

Me 0 © 2ͤ„

GENERAL WASHINGTON: 107

and the audience laſted till three in the after=
noon, The ſociety of the Cincinnati, the
clergy, the officers of the militia, and ſeveral
others, who formed a diſtinct body of citizens,
came by themſelves ſeparately. The foreign
miniſters attended in their richeſt dreſſes and
moſt ſplendid equipages. Two large parlours
were open for the reception of the gentlemen,
the windows of one of which towards the ſtreet
were crowded with ſpectators on the outſide.
The ſideboard was furniſhed with cake and
wines, whereof the viſitors partook. I never
obſerved ſo much cheerfulneſs before in the
countenance of General Waſhington; but it
was impoſſible for him to remain inſenſible to
the attention and the compliments paid to him
on this occaſion.

The ladies of the city, equally attentive,
paid their reſpects to Mrs. Waſhington, who
received them in the drawing room up ſtairs,
After having viſited the General, molt of the
gentlemen alſo waited upon her. A public
ball and ſupper terminated the rejoicings of
the day.

Not one town of any importance was there
in the whole union, where ſome meeting did

States he never appointed one of his own relations to any office
of truſt or emolument, although he has ſeveral that are men
of abilities, and well qualified to fill the moſt important ſtations
in the government,

not

TÞ 2 1 8 FA „ EY To 1 59 *
0 = — l = of 8 LOG k
[| —_— Wb 2, TPM, * W
„ ICT ITS. Fg © Þ*
> b = "+ \ Ia * * * _
= N 1 A 3 =_— a ut * Yo .

1068 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

not take place in honour of this day; yet
fingular as it may appear, there are people in
the country, Americans too, foremoſt in boaſt.
ing to other nations of that conſtitution which
has been raiſed for them by his valour and
wiſdom, who are either ſo inſenfible to his
merit, or ſo totally devoid of every generous
1 ſentiment, that they can refuſe to join in com-
= mendations of thoſe talents to which they are
ſo much indebted ; indeed to ſuch a length
has this perverſe ſpirit been carried, that J
have myſelf ſeen numbers of men, in all other
points men of reſpectability, that have pe-
remptorily refuſed even to pay him the ſmall
compliment of drinking to his health after
dinner; it is true indeed, that they qualify
their conduct partly by aſſerting, that it is
only as preſident of the United States, and not
as General Waſhington, that they have a diſ-
like to him; but this is only a mean ſubter-
fuge, which they are forced to have recourſe
to, leſt their conduct ſhould appear too
ſtrongly marked with ingratitude. During the
war there were many, and not loyaliſts either,
who were doing all in their power to remove
him from that command whereby he ſo emi- |
nently diſtinguiſhed himſelf, It is the ſpirit of
diſſatisfaction which forms a leading trait in
the character of the Americans as a people, f
which produces this malevolence at preſent,

d juſt

11 ]
juſt as it did formerly ; and if their public af-
fairs were regulated by a perſon ſent from
heaven, I firmly believe his acts, inſtead of
meeting with univerſal approbation, would
by many be conſidered -as deceitful and flagi-

tlous.

Singular Mildneſi of the Winter of 179 5-6,
Set out for Lancaſter. —Turnpike Road be-
tween that Place and Philadelþhia.—Sum-
mary View of the State of Pennſylvania.
Deſeription of the Farms between Lancaſter
and Philadelphia. — The Farmers live in a
penurious Style. — Greaiiy inferior to Engliſh
Farmers. Bad Taverns on this Raad.
Waggons and MWaggoners.—Cuſtoms of. the
latter. —Deſcription of Lancaſter.—-Lately
made the Seat of the State Government.
Manufactures carried on there. Rifle Gun.
Great Dexterity with which the Americans
uſe them.— Anecdote of Two Virginian Sal-
diers belonging to a Rifle Regiment.

MY DEAR SIR, Lancaſter, March,
11s winter has proved one of the mildeſt
that has ever been experienced in the
country. During the laſt month there were
two or three ſlight falls of ſnow, but in no
one

tio TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

one inſtance did it remain two days on the
ground. A ſmart froſt fat in the firſt week
of this month, and ſnow fell to the depth of
{ix or ſeven inches; but on the third day a
ſudden thaw came on, and it quickly diſap-
peared : ſince then the weather has remained
uncommonly mild. The ſcaſon being ſo fine,
and fo favourable for travelling, I was unwil-
ling to ſtay at Philadelphia ; accordingly I fat
out for this place on horſeback, and arrived
here laſt night, at the end of the ſecond day's
Journey. From hence I intend to proceed
towards the ſouth, to meet the approaching
ſpring.

The road between Philadelphia and Lan-
caſter has lately undergone a thorough repair,
and tolls are levied upon it, to keep it in order,
under the direction of a company. When-
ever theſe tolls afford a profit of more than
fifteen per cent. on the ſtock originally ſub-
feribed for making the road, the company is
bound, by an act of aſſembly, to lefien them.
This is the firſt attempt to have a turnpike
road in Pennſylvania, and it is by no means
reliſhed by the people at large, particularly by
the waggoners, who go in great numbers by
this route to Philadelpnia from the back pon
of the ſtate,

The ſtate of Pennſylvania lies nearly in the

form of a parallelogram, whoſe greateſt length
is

R OA D 8. 111

's from eaſt to weſt. This parallelogram is
crofled diagonally from the north-eaſt to the
ſouth-weſt by ſeveral different ridges of
mountains, which are about one hundred miles
in breadth. The valleys between theſe ridges
contain a rich black ſoil, and in the ſouth-
weſt and north-eaſt angles alſo, at the outſide
of the mountains, the ſoil is very good. The
northern parts of this ſtate are but very thinly
inhabited as yet, but towards the ſouth, the
whole way from Philadelphia to Pittſburg, it
is well ſettled. The moſt populous part of it
is the ſouth-eaſt corner, which lies between
the mountains and the river Delaware; through
this part the turnpike road paſſes which leads
to Lancaſter. The country. on each ſide of
the road is pleaſingly diverſified with hill and
dale. Cultivation is chiefly confined to the
low lands, which are the. richeſt; the hills are
all left covered with wood, and afford a plea-
ling variety to the eye; The further you go
from Philadelphia the more fertile is the coun-
try, and the more pictureſque at the fame
time.

On the whole road from Philadelphia, to
Lancaſter there are not any two dwellings
ſtanding together, excepting at a ſmall place
called Downing's Town, which lies about mid-
way; numbers of farm houſes, however, are
ſcattered over the country as far as the eye

a can

112 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA +

can reach. Theſe houſes are moſtly built of
ſtone, and are about as good as thoſe uſu-
ally met with on an arable farm of fifty acres
in a well cultivated part of England. The
farms attached to theſe houſes contain about
two hundred acres each, and are, with a few
exceptions only, the property of the perſons
who cultivate them. In the cultivated parts
of Pennſylvania the farms rarely exceed three
hundred acres; towards the north, however,
where the ſettlements are but few, large tracts
of land are in the hands of individuals, who
are ſpeculators and land jobbers. Adjoining
to the houſes there is generally a peach or an
apple orchard, With the fruit they make
cyder and brandy ; the people have a method
alſo of drying the peaches and apples, after
having ſliced them, in the ſan, and thus cured
they laſt all the year round. They are uſed
for pies and puddings, but they have a very
acrid taſte, and ſcarcely any of the original
flavour of the fruit. The peaches in their beſt
ſtate are but indifferent, being ſmall and dry;
I never cat any that were good, excepting ſuch
as were raiſed with care in gardens. It is faid
that the climate is ſo much altered that they
will not grow now as they formerly did.
In April and May nightly froſts are very com-
mon, which were totally unknown formerly,
and frequently the peaches are entirely blighted.
Gardens

r AR M 5. 113

Gardens are very rare in the country patts of
Pennſylvania, for the farmers think. the labour
which they require does not afford ſufficient
profit ; in the neighbourhood of towns, how-=
ever, they are common, and the culinary ve-
getables raiſed in them are equal to any of
their reſpective kinds in the world, potatoes ex-
cepted, which generally have an earthy un-
pleaſant taſte,

Though the | ſouth-eaſt part of the ſtate
of Pennſylvania is better cultivated than any
other part of America, yet the ſtyle of farm-
ing is on the whole very ſlovenly. I venture,
indeed, to aſſert, that the farmers do not raiſe
more on their two hundred acres than a ſkil-
ful farmer in Norfolk, Suffolk, or Eſſex, or
in any well cultivated part of England, would
do on fifty acres of good land there. The far-
mer alſo, who rents fifty acres of arable land
in England, lives far more comfortably in
every reſpect than the farmer in Pennſylvania,
or in any other of the middle ſtates, who owns
two hundred acres of land, his houſe will be
found better furniſhed; and his table more
plentifully covered. That the farmers do
not live better in America, I hardly know
whether to aſcribe to their love of making
money, or to their real indifference about bet-
ter fare; perhaps it may be owing, in ſome
Vor. I. I meeaſure,

1 114 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:
2 meaſure, to both; certain it is howevet, that
I their mode of living is moſt wretched.
5 The taverns throughout this part of the
4 country are kept by farmers, and they are all
A very indifferent. If the traveller can procure
AY a few eggs with a little bacon he ought to
1 | reſt ſatisfied ; it is twenty to one that a bit of
y freſh meat is to be had, or any falted -meat
4 except pork. Vegetables ſeem alſo to be very
5 ſcarce, and when you do get any, they ge-
= nerally confiſt of turnips, or turnip tops boiled
YI by way of greens. - The bread is heavy and
4 ſour, though they have as fine flour as any in
bs j the world; this is owing to their method df
4 making of it ; they raiſe it with what they call
1 | fots ; hops and water boiled together. No
=_ dependance is to be placed upon getting 1
1 man at theſe taverns to rub down your hork,

* or even to give him his food, frequently there-
0 fore you will have to do every thing of the
0 kind for yourſelf if you do not travel with!
ſervant ; and indeed, even where men are kept

for the purpoſe of attending to traveller, |
8 which at ſome of the taverns is the cal, gil .
4 they are fo ſullen and diſobliging that you kay .
4 inclined to do every thing with your ow
hands rather than be indebted to them for ther .
aſſiſtance : they always appear doubtful whe-W o.

ther they ſhould do any thing for you or not
3

WAGGONS, 115

and to be reaſoning within themſelves, whe-
ther it is not too great a departure from the
rules of equality to take the horſe of an-
other man, and whether it would not be a
pleaſing fight to ſee a gentleman ſtrip off his
coat, and go to work for himſelf ; nor will
money make them alter their conduct ;- civility,
as I before ſaid, is not to be purchaſed at any
expence in America; nevertheleſs the people
will pocket your money with the utmoſt read-
ineſs, though without thanking you for it.
Of all beings on the earth, Americans are the
moſt intereſted and covetous.

It is ſcarcely poſſible to go one mile on
this road without meeting numbers of wag-
gons paſſing and repaſſing between the back
parts of the ſtate and Philadelphia. Theſe
waggons are commonly drawn by: four or'five
horſes, four of which are yoked in pairs. The
waggons are heavy, the horſes ſmall, and the
driver unmerciful ; the conſequence of which
is, that in every. team, nearly, there is a horſe
either lame or blind. The Pennſylvanians are
notorious for the bad care which they take of
their horſes. Excepting the night be tempeſ-
tuous, the, waggoners never put their horſes
under ſhelter, 'and then it is only under a ſhed;
each tavern is uſually provided with a large
one for the purpoſe. Market or High- ſtreet,
in Philadelphia, the ſtreet by which theſe peo -
12 ple

ne — = =
LAG = TOW > N A
FRO „ = * 1

n ͤ „ „

e F TT” ATE is — —_—_—
—— 1 [1 % Wi f = l 1 9 3 = = = 3 783 a - RX d
A. 9 WH 9 0 "af 1 9 a "y | l "yy 4 ROFL . * = * N 9 - 1 will = on Li — N ry _
a | 8 —— * o ba. a
\ — 4 5 a _— NEL \ = K =

a — As a : — N N 8
„„ AA. ꝛ
. : 5 . WE F — 3
—

116 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

-ple come into the town, is always. crowded
with waggons and horſes, that are left ſtand-
ing there all night. This is to ſave money;

the expence of putting them into - a ſtable
would be too great, in the opinion of theſe
people. Food for the horſes is always carried

in the waggon, and the moment they ſtop they

are unyoked, and fed whilſt they are warm,

By this treatment half the poor animals are

foundered. The horſes are fed out of a large
trough carried for the purpoſe, and fixed on
the pole of the. waggon by means of iron
pins.

Lancaſter is the largeſt inland town in
North America, and contains about nine hun-

dred houſes, built chiefly of brick and ſtone,
together with ſix churches, a court houſe, and
gaol. Of the churches, there is one reſpec-
tively for German Lutherans, German Cal-
viniſts, Moravians, Engliſh Epiſcopalians, and
Roman Catholics. The ſtreets are laid out
regularly, and croſs each other at right an-

gles.

An act of aſſembly has been paſſed, for
making this town the ſeat of the ſtate govern-
ment inſtead of Philadelphia, and the afſembly
was to meet in the year 1797. This circum-
ſtance is much in favour of the improvement
of the town. The Philadelphians, inimical to

the meaſure, talked of it much in the ſame

ſtyle

RIFLE GUudVs. by.

ſtylo that they do now of the removal of the:
ſeat of the federal government, ſaying, that it
muſt be again changed to: Philadelphia; but
the neceſſity of having the ſeat of the le-
giſlature as central as poſſible in each ſtate is
obvious, and if a change does take place again,
it is moſt likely that it will only be to remove
the ſeat {till farther from Philadelphia. On
the ſame principle, the aſſembly of Virginia
meets now at Richmond inſtead of Williamſ-
burgh, and that of New; York ſtate at —_
inſtead of the city of New York.

Seyeral different kinds of articles are ma-
nufactured at Lancaſter by German mecha-
nics, individually, principally for the people of |
the town and the neighbourhood. Rifled bar-
rel guns however are to be excepted, which,
although not as handſome as thoſe im-
ported from England, are more eſteemed by
the hunters, and are ſent every part of the
country,

The rifled barrel guns, commonly uſed in
America, are nearly of the length of a mulket,
and carry leaden balls from the 1ize of thirty
to ſixty in the pound. Some hunters prefer
thoſe of a ſmall bore, becauſe they require but
little ammunition ; others prefer ſuch as have
a wide bore, becauſe the wound which they
inflict is more certainly attended with death;
the wound, however, made by a ball diſ-
I 3 | charged

ut TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

charged from one of theſe guns is always very
dangerous. The inſide of the barrel is fluted,
and the grooves run in a ſpiral direction from
one end of the barrel to the other, conſe-
quently when the ball comes out it has a
whirling motion round its own axis, at the
fame time that it moves forward, and when
it enters into the body of an animal, it tears up
the fleſh in a dreadful manner. The beſt of
powder is choſen for a rifled barrel gun, and
after a proper portion of it is put down the
barrel, the ball is incloſed in a ſmall bit of
linen rag, well greaſed at the outſide, and
then forced down with a thick ramrod. The
greaſe and the bits of rag, which are called
patches, are carried in a little box at the but-
end of the gun. The beſt rifles are furniſhed
with two triggers, one of which being firſt
pulled ſets the other, that is, alters the ſpring,
ſo that it will yield even to the ſlight touch of
a feather. They are alſo furniſhed with dou-
ble fights along the barrel, as fine as thoſe of
a ſurveying infirument. An experienced
markſman, with one of theſe guns, will hit
an object not larger than a crown piece, to a
certainty, at the diſtance of one hundred yards.
Two men belonging to the Virginia rifle re-
giment, a large diviſion of which was quar-
tered in this town during the war, had ſuch a
dependance

R IF LE GUN SV. 119

dependance on each other's dexterity, that the
one would hold a piece of board, not more
than nine inches ſquare, between his knees,
whilſt the other ſhot at it with a ball at the
diſtance of one hundred paces. This they
uſed to do alternately, for the amuſement of

the town's people, as often as they were cal-
led upon. Numbers of people in Lancaſter
can vouch for the truth of this fact. Were
J, however, to tell you all the ſtories I have
heard of the performances of riflemen, you
would think the people were moſt abominably
addicted to lying. A rifle gun will not carry
ſhot, nor will it carry a ball much farther than
one hundred yards with certainty;

10 }

LETTER IX.
Number of Germans in the Neighbourhood of

York and Lancaſter — How brought over.
White Slave Trade, —Cruelty frequently prac-
tiſed in the carrying it on. — Character of the
German Settlers contraſted with that of the
Americans. —Paſſage of the Suſquehannah
between York and Lancaſter. =Great Beauty
of the Proſpetts along the River, —Deſcrih+
tion of York, —Courts of Fuſtice there, —Of
the Pennſytuanian Syſtem of Fudicature.

MY DEAR SIR, York, March.
1 Arrived at this place, which is about twenty
miles diſtant from Lancaſter, yeſterday,
The inhabitants of this town, as well as thoſe
of Lancaſter and of the adjoining country,
conſiſt principally of Dutch and German emi-
grants, and their deſcendants. Great num-
bers of theſe people emigrate to America every
year, and the importation of them forms a
very conſiderable branch of commerce, They
are for the moſt part brought from the Hanſe
Towns and from Rotterdam. The veſſſels fail
thither from America, laden with different
kinds of produce, and the maſters of them,
on arriving there, entice on board as many of
theſe people as they can perſuade to leave
then

WHITE SLAVE TRADE. iy
their native country, without demanding anj
money for their paſſage. When the vel
arrives in America, an advertiſement is put
into the paper, mentioning the different kinds
of men on board, whether ſmiths, tailors,
carpenters, labourers, or the like, and the peo-
ple that are in want of ſuch men flock down
to the veſſel; theſe poor Germans are then ſold
to the higheſt bidder, and the captain of the
veſſel, or the ſhip holder, puts the money into
his pocket *.

There have been many very thocking i in-
ſtances of cruelty in the carrying on of this
trade, vulgarly called “ The white flaye
« trade.” I ſhall tell you but of one. While
the yellow fever was raging in Philadelphia in
the year 1793, at which time few veſſels would
venture to approach nearer to the city than
Fort Mifflin, four-miles below it, a captain in
the trade arrived in the river, and hearing that
ſuch was the fatal nature of the infection, that
a ſufficient number of nurſes could not be
procured to attend the ſick for any ſum what-
ever, he conceived the philanthropic idea of
ſupplying this deficiency from amongſt his
paſſengers ; accordingly he boldly” failed up to
the city, and advertiſed his cargo for fale;

® Thouſands of people were brought from the north of Ire-
land in the ſame way before the war with France.

« A few

222 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

« A few healthy ſervants, generally between
« ſeventeen and eighteen years of age, are juſt
c arrived in the brig , their times will
be diſpoſed of by applying on board.” The
cargo, as you may ſuppoſe, did not remain
long unſold. This anecdote was communi»
cated to me by a gentleman who has the ori-
ginal advertiſement in his poſſeſſion.

When I tell you that people are ſold in this
manner, it is not to be underſtood that they
are fold for ever, but only for a certain num-
ber of years; for two, three, four, or five years,
according to their reſpective merits. A good
mechanic, that underſtands a particular kind
of trade, for which men are much wanted in
America, has to ſerve a ſhorter time than a
mere labourer, as more money will be given
for his time, and the expence of his paſlage
does not exceed that of any other man. Dur-
ing their ſervitude, theſe people are liable to
be reſold at the caprice of their maſters; they
are as much under dominion as negro ſlaves,
and if they attempt to run away, they may be
impriſoned like felons. The laws reſpecting
«* redemptioners,” ſo are the men called that
are brought over in this manner, were ground-
ed on thoſe formed for the Engliſh convicts
before the revolution, and they are very ſevere.

The Germans are a quiet, ſober, and induſ-
trious ſet of people, and are moſt valuable

citizens.

GERMAN SETTLERS. ' an
citizens. They generally ſettle a good many
together in one place, and, as may be ſup-
poſed, in conſequence keep up many of the
cuſtoms of their native country as well as their
own language. In Lancaſter and the neigh-
bourhood German is the prevailing language,
and numbers of people living there are ig-
norant of any other. The Germans are ſome
of the beſt farmers in the United States, and
they ſeldom are to be found but where the
land is particularly good; wherever they ſettle
they build churches, and are wonderfully at-
tentive to the duties of religion. In theſe and
many other reſpects the Germans and their
deſcendants differ widely from the Americans,
that is, from the deſcendants of the Engliſh,
Scotch, Iriſh, and other nations, who, from
having lived in the country for many genera-
tions, and from having mingled together, now
form one people, whoſe manners and habits
are very much the ſame. |

The Germans are a plodding race of men,
wholly intent upon their own buſineſs, and
indifferent about that of others: a ſtranger is
never moleſted as he paſſes. through their ſet-
tlements with inquiſitive and idle queſtions,
On arriving amongſt the Americans *, how-

* In ſpeaking of the Americans here, and ir the following
lines, it is thoſe of the lower and middling claſſes of the people

which I allude to, ſuch as are met with in the country parts
of Pennſylvania,

ever,

6
RY * "TP _ 4 . ** TY TS f e fot "—_ 1 — p \ l
TSS > AC of _ FRE? 12 7 nnn F 8 <> CR ⁰Ü Uu — f —— EEE >. AT. LEREERGT = -—-

124 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

ever, a ſtranger muſt tell where he came from,
where he is going, what his name is, what his
buſineſs 1s; and until he gratifies their curioſity
on theſe points, and many others of equal im-
portance, he is never ſuffered to remain quiet
for a moment. In a tavern he muſt ſatisfy
every freſh ſet that comes in, in the ſame
manner, or involve himſelf in a quarrel, eſpes
cially if it is found out that he is not a native,
which it does not require much ſagacity to
diſcover. |

The Germans give themſelves but little
trouble about politics; they ele& their repre»
ſentatives to ſerve in congreſs and the ſtate
aſſemblies; and fatisfied that deſerving men
have been choſen by the people at large, they
truſt that theſe men do what is beſt for the
public good, and therefore abide patiently by
their deciſions : they revere the conſtitution,
conſcious that they live happily under it, and
expreſs no wiſhes to have it altered. The
Americans, however, are for ever cavilling at
ſome of the public meaſures; ſomething or
other 1s always wrong, and they never appear
perfectly ſatisfied. If any great meaſure is
before congreſs for diſcuſſion, ſeemingly diſ-
truſtful of the abilities or the integrity of the
men they have elected, they meet together in
their towns or diſtricts, canvaſs the matter
themſelves, and then ſend forward inſtructions

| - =

GERMAN SETTLERS. 125

to their [repreſentatives how to act. They
never conſider that any important queſtion is
more likely to meet with a fair diſcuſſion in an
aſſembly where able men are collected toge-
ther from all parts of the ſtates than in an
obſcure corner, where a few individuals are
aſſembled, who have no opportunity of get-
ting general information on the ſubject. Party
ſpirit is for ever creating diſſentions amongſt
them, and one man is continually endeavour-
ing to obtrude his political creed upon another.
If it is found out that a ſtranger is from Great
Britain or Ireland, they immediately begin to
boaſt of their own. conſtitution and freed=n,
and give him to underſtand, that they think
every Engliſhman a ſlave, becauſe he ſubmits
to be called a ſubject. Their opinions are for
the moſt part crude and dogmatical, and prin-
cipally borrowed from newſpapers, which are
wretchedly compiled from the pamphlets of
the day, having read a few of which, they
think themſelves arrived at the ſummit of
intellectual excellence, and qualified for making
the deepeſt political reſearches.

The Germans, as I have ſaid, are fond of
ſettling near each other: when the young men
of a family are grown up, they generally en-
deavour to get a piece of land in the neigh-
bourhood of their relations, and by their in-
duſtry ſoon make it valuable; the American,

126 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

on the contrary, is of a roving diſpoſition, and
wholly regardleſs of the ties of conſanguinity;
he takes his wife with him, goes to a diſtant
part of the country, and buries himſelf in the
woods, hundreds of miles diſtant from the reſt
_ of his family, never perhaps to fee them again,
In the back parts of the country you always
meet numbers of men prowling about to try
and. buy cheap land ; having found what they
like, they immediately remove; nor having
once removed, are theſe people ſatisfied; reſt-
leſs and diſcontented with what they pofleſs,
they are for ever changing. It is ſcarcely poſ-
lie in any part of the continent to find a
man, amongſt the middling and lower claſſes
of Americans, who has not changed his farm
and his reſidence many different times. Thus
it is, that though there are not more than
four millions of people in the United States,
yet they are ſcattered from the confines of
Canada to the fartheſt extremity of Georgia,
and from the Atlantic to the banks of the
Miſſiſſippi. Thouſands of acres-of waſte land
are annually taken up in unhealthy and un-
fruitful parts of the country, notwithſtanding
that the beſt ſettled and healthy parts of the
middle ſtates would maintain five times the
number of inhabitants that they do at preſent.
The American, however, does not change
about from place to place in this manner merely

| to

THE SUSQUEHANNAH. 1275
to gtatify a wandering diſpoſition; in every
change he hopes to make money. By the
defire of making money, both the Germans
and Americans of every claſs and deſcription
are actuated in all their movements; ſelf.
intereſt is always uppermoſt in their thoughts;
it is the idol which they worſhip, and at its

ſhrine thouſands and thouſands would be

found, in all parts of the country, ready to
make a ſacrifice of every noble and generous
ſentiment that can adorn the human mind.

In coming to this place from Lancaſter I
crofled the Suſquehannah River, which runs
nearly midway between the two towns, at the
ſmall village of Columbia, as better boats are
kept there than at either of the ferries higher
up or lower down the river. The Suſque-
hannah is here ſomewhat more than a quarter
of a mile wide, and for a conſiderable diſtance,
both above and below the ferry, it abounds
with iſlands and large rocks, over which laſt
the water runs with prodigious velocity: the
roaring noiſe that it makes is heard a great
way off. The banks riſe very boldly on each
fide, and are thickly wooded ; the iflands alſo
are covered with ſmall trees, which, inter-
ſperſed with the rocks, produce a very fine *
effect. The ſcenery in every point of view
is wild and romantic. In croffing the river
it is neceſſary ta row up againſt the ſtream

—

126 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA #
under the ſhore, and then to ſtrike over 9
the oppoſite fide, under the ſhelter of ſome
of the largeſt iſlands. As theſe rapids eon-
tinue for many miles, they totally impede the
navigation, excepting when there are floods
in the river, at which time large rafts may
be conducted down the ſtream, carrying ſeve-
ral hundred barrels of flour. It is ſaid that the
river could be rendered navigable in this
neighbourhood, but the expence of ſuch an
undertaking would be enormous, and there is
little likelihood indeed that it will ever be
attempted, as the Pennſylvanians are already
engaged in cutting a canal below Harriſburgh,
which will connect the navigable part of the
river with the Schuylkill, and alſo another
canal from the Schuylkill to the Delaware,
by means of which a vent will be opened
for the produce of the country bordering upon
the Suſquehannah at Philadelphia. Theſe
canals would have been finiſhed by this time
if the ſubſcribers had all paid their reſpective
ſhares, but at preſent they are almoſt at a ſtand
for, want of money. :
The quantity of wild fowl that is ſeen on
every part of the Suſquehannah is immenſe,
Throughour America the wild fowl is excel-
lent and plentiful ; but there is one duck in
particular found on this river, and alſo on Pa-

towmac and . rivers, which ſurpaſſes all
others: :

LAWYERS 30
others: it is called the white or canvaſs- back
duck, from the feathers between the wings
being ſomewhat of the colour of canvaſs. This
duck is held in ſuch eſtimation in America, that
it is ſent frequently as a preſent for hundreds
of miles indeed it would be a dainty morſel
for the greateſt epicure in any country.

Vork contains about five hundred houſes
and ſix churches, and is much ſuch another
town as Lancaſter. It is inhabited by Ger-
mans, by whom the ſame manufactures are
carried on as at Lancaſter.

The courts of common pleas, and dicke.of
general quarter ſeſſions, were holding when I
reached this place; I found it difficult, there-
fore, at farſt, to procure accommodation, but
at laſt I got admiſſion in a houſe principally
taken up by lawyers. To behold the ſtrange
aſſemblage of perſons that was brought toge-
ther this morning in the one poor apartment
which was allotted to all the lodgers, was really
a ſubject of diverfion.. Here one lawyer had
| his clients in à corner of the room; there

another had his; a third was ſhaving; a
1 fourth powdering his own hair; a fifth no-
7 ting his brief; and the table ſtanding in the

a middle of the room, between a clamorous ſet
n of old men on one fide, and three: or four
- women in tears on the other ; I and the reſt
ll ef the company, who were not.lawyers, were
: leſt to eat our breakfaſt.

I. K | On

130 TRAVELS THROUGH NOR TH AMERICA:

On entering into the courts a ſtranger is apt
to ſmile at the groteſque appearance of the
judges who preſide in them, and at their man-
ners on the bench; but this ſmile muſt be ſup-
preſſed when it is recollected, that there is no
country, perhaps, in the world, where juſtice
is more impartially adminiſtered, or more eafily
obtained by thoſe who have been injured. The
judges in the country parts of Pennſylvania
are no more than plain farmers, who from their
infancy have been accuſtomed to little elſe
than following the plough. The lars ex-
preſsly declare that there muſt be, at leaſt,
three judges reſident in every county; now as
the ſalary allowed is but a mere;trifle, no law-
yer would accept of the office, which of courk
muſt be filled tram amongſt the inhabitants“,
who are all in a happy. ſtate of mediocrity,
and on a perfect equality with each other. The
diſtrict judge, however, who prefides in the
diſtrict or circuit, has a larger ſalary, and s
a man of a different caſt. The diſtrict or cir-
cuit conſiſts of at leaſt three, but not more than
ſix counties. The county judges, which |
have mentioned, are © judges of the court d
common pleas, and by virtue of their offics
4 alſo juſtices of oyer and terminer, and ge-

* This is alſo the caſe in Philadelphia, where we find pr
tiſing phyſiciavs and ſurgeons fitting on the bench as judges!
4 court of juſtice. |

« nent

PENNSYLVANIA COURTS. | 13.

ce neral gaol delivery, for the trial of capital
« and other offenders therein.” Any two
judges compoſe the court of quarter ſeſſions.
Under certain regulations, eſtabliſhed by law,
the accuſed party has the power of removing
the proceedings into the ſupreme court, which
has juriſdiction over every part of the ſtate.
This ſhort account of the courts relates only
to Pennſylvania: every ſtate in the union has

a ſeparate code of laws for itſelf, and a diſtinct

judicature.

LETTER X.

Of the Country near Tork. — O, the Soil of the
Country on each Side of the Blue Mountarms.
— PFrederic-town.— Change in the Inhabi-
tants and in the Country as you proceed to-
wards the Sea. Numbers of Slaves. — To-
bacco chiefly cultivated. Inquiſitiveneſi of the
People at the Taverns.— Obſervations thereon.
—Deſeription of the Great Falls of the Pa-
fowmac Rrver.— George Town.— Of the
Country between that Place and Hoe's F erry.
—Poifonous Vines.— Port Tobacco. —Wret-
ched Appearance of the Country. bordering
upon the Ferry,—Slaves neglected. —Paſage

| K 2 of

„ „
— 4 — 4 — * oy
— ad 8 2

132 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

courſe, parallel to the Blue Mountains, you

foil, which is common in the neighbourhood
'of York and Lancaſter, is again met with, and
it is found throughout the Shenandoah Valley,

fide of the mountains.

Frederic contains about ſeven hundred houſes

man Lutherans, one for Preſbyterians, one fot

—

of the Patowmac very dangerous.— Fre
Water Oyſters. — Landed on a deſerted Part
of the Virginian $hore.—Great Haſpitality of
the uin.

Stratford, Marek!)

N this rejptibourho6d of York and Lanta:
ſter, the ſoil conſiſts of a rich, brown, loamy
earth; and if you proceed ina ſouth weſterly

meet with the ſame kind of foil as far as Fre-
deric in Maryland. Here it changes gradually
to a deep reddiſh colour, and continues much
the fame along the eaſtern fide of the moun-
tains; all the way down to North Carolina,
On crofling over the mountains, however, di-
realy from Frederic, the ſame fertile brown

and as far n as the Carolinas, on the weſt

Between Vork and Frederic in Maryland
there are two or three ſmall towns ; viz. Han-
over, Peterſburgh, and Woodſburg, but there
is nothing worthy of mention in any of them.

and five churches, two of which are for Ger-

Calviniſts, and one for Baptiſts. It is a flouriſh-
ing

FACE OF THE COUNTRY. 133

mg town, and carries on a briſk; inland trade.
The arſenal of the ſtate of Maryland is placed
here, the ſituation being ſecure and central,
From Frederic I proceeded in a ſoutherly
courſe through Montgomery county in Mary-
land. In this direction the ſoil changes to a
yellowiſh ſort of clay mixed with gravel, and
continues much the ſame until-you. come to
the federal city, beyond which, as I have betore
mentioned, it becomes more and more ſandy
as you approach the ſea coaſt; The change
in the face of the country after leaving Fre-
deric is gradual, but ar the end of a day's jour-
ney a ſtriking difference is perceptible. Inſtead
of well cultivated fields, green with wheat,
ſuch as are met with along that rich track
which runs contiguous to the mountains, large
pieces of land, which have been worn out with
the culture of tobacco, are here ſeen. lying
waſte, with ſcarcely an herb to cover them.
Inſtead of the furrows of the plough, the
marks of the hoe appear on the ground ;, the
fields are overſpread with little hillocks for
the reception of tobacco plants, and the eye is
aſſailed in every direction with the unpleaſant
ſight of gangs of male and female flaves toil»
inz under the harſh commands of the overſeer.
The difference in the manners of the inha-
bitants is alſo great. Inſtead of being amongſt
the phlegmatic. Germans, a traveller finds him-
K 3 ſelf

„ TRAVELS' THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

ſelf again in the midſt of an inquiſitive and
pryin g ſet of Americans, to gratify whoſe cuti-
oſity it is always neceſſary to devote a certain
portion of time after alighting at a tavern.

A traveller on arriving in America may
poſſibly imagine, that it is the deſire of obtain-
ing uſeful information which leads the peo-
ple, whereever he ſtops, to accoſt him; and
that the particular enquiries reſpecting the ob-
ject of his purſuits, the place of his abode, and
that of his deſtination, &c. are made to pre-
pare the way for queſtions of a more general
nature, and for converſation that may be at-
tended with ſome amuſement to him; he
therefore readily anſwers them, hoping in re-
turn to gain information about the country
through which he paſtes; but when it is
found that theſe queſtions are aſked merely
through an idle and impertinent curioſity, and
that by far the greater part of the people who
aſk them are ignorant, booriſh fellows ; when
it is found that thoſe who can keep up ſome
little converſation immediately begin to talk
upon politics, and to abuſe every country ex-
cepting their on; when, laſtly, it is found that
the people ſcarcely ever give ſatisfactory an-
ſwers at firſt to the enquiries which are made
by a ſtranger reſpecting their country, but
always heſitate, as if ſuſpicious that he was
aſking theſe queſtions to procure ſome local

information

a” Fa ww XU”

FALLS OF THE PAO .]. 35

jn formation, in order to enable him to over-
reach them in a bargain, or to make ſorme-
ſpeculation in land to their injury; the tra-
veller then loſes all patience at this diſagree-
able and prying diſpoſition, and feels diſpoſed

to turn from them with diſguſt ; ſtill, how-

ever, if he withes to go through the country
peaceably, and without quarrelling at every

place where he ſtops, it is abſolutely-neceſ-'

ſary to anſwer ſome few of their queſtions.
Having followed the high way as far as
Montgomery court-houſe, which is about
thirty miles from Frederic, I turned off along
a bye road running through the woods, in or-
der to ſee the great falls of Patowmac River.

The view of them from the Maryland ſhore is

very pleaſing, but not ſo much ſo as that from
the oppoſite fide. Having reached the river
therefore cloſe to the falls, I rode along through
the woods, with which its banks are covered,

for ſome diſtance higher up, to a place where

there was a ferry, and where I croſſed into

Virginia, From the place where I landed to
the Falls, which is a diftance of about three
miles, there is a wild romantic path running
along the margin of the river, and winding
at the ſame time round the baſe of a high
hill covered with lofty trees and rocks. Near
to the ſhore, almoſt the whole way, there are
cluſters of ſmall iſlands covered with trees,

K 4 which

136 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

which fuddenly oppoſing the rapid courſe: of
the ſtream, form very dangerous eddies, in
which boats are frequently loſt when navigated
by men who are not active and careful. On
the ſhore prodigious heaps of white ſand are
waſhed up by the waves, and in many places
the path is rendered almoſt impaſſable by piles
of-large trees, which have been brought down
from the upper country by floods, and dr
together.

The river, at the bury which I mentioned,
is about one mile and a quarter wide, and it
continues much the ſame breadth as far as the
falls, where it is conſiderably contracted and
confined 1n its channel by immenſe racks on

either ſide. There alſo its courſe is very ſud-
denly altered, ſo much ſo indeed, that below
the falls for a ſhort diſtance it runs in an op-
polite. direction from what it did above, but
| ſoon after it reſumes its former courſe, The
water does not deſcend perpendicularly, ex-
cepting in one part cloſe to the Virginian
ſhore, where the height is about thirty feet,
but comes ruſhing down with tremendous im-
petuoſity over a ledge of rocks in ſeveral dif-
ferent talls. The beſt view of the cataract is
from the top of a pile of rocks about ſixty
feet aboye the level of the water, and which,
owing to the bend in the river, is ſituated nearly

oppoſite to the falls. The river comes from
8 the

PORT TOBACCO. . 7

the right, then gradually turning, precipitates
itſelf down the falls, and winds along at the
foot of the rocks on which you ſtand with
great velocity. The rocks are of a late co-
lour, and lie in ſtrata ; the ſurface of them in
many places is gloſſy and ſparkling.

From hence I followed the courſe of the
river downwards as far as George Town,
where I again croſſed it; and after paſſing
through the federal city, proceeded along the
Maryland ſhore of the river to Piſcatoway,
and afterwards to Port Tobacco, two ſmall
towns- ſituated on creeks of their own name,
which rut; into the Patowmac. In the neigh-
bourhood of Piſcatoway there are ſeveral very
fine views of the Virginian ſhore ; Mount
Vernon in particular appears to great ad-
vantage.

[ obſerved here great numbers of the poi-
ſonous vines which grow about the large
trees, and are extremely like the common
grape vines. If handled in the morning,
when the branches are moiſt with the dew,
they infallibly raiſe bliſters on the hands,
which it is ſometimes difficult to get rid of.

Port Tobacco contains about eighty houſes,
moſt of which are of wood, and very poor,
There is a large Engliſh epiſcopalian church
on the border of the town, built of ſtone,
which formerly was an ornament to the place,

but

138 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

but it is now entirely out of repair; the wine
dows are all broken, and the road is carried
through the church-yard over the graves, the
paling that ſurrounded it having been torn
down. Near the town is Mount Miſery, to-
wards the top of which is a medicinal ſpring,
remarkable in ſummer ſor the coldneſs of the
water. | |

From Port Tobacco to Hoe's Ferry, on
the Patowmac River, the country 1s flat and
ſandy, and wears a moſt dreary aſpect. No-
thing is to be ſeen here for miles together but
extenſive plains, that have been worn out by
the culture of tobacco, overgrown\gwith yel-
low ſedge,* and interſperſed with groves of
pine and cedar trees, the dark green colour
of which forms a curious contraſt with the
yellow of the ſedge. In the midſt of theſe
plains are the remains of ſeveral good houſes,
which ſhew that the country was once very
different to what it is now, Theſe were the
houſes, moſt probably, of people who ori-
ginally ſettled in Maryland with Lord Bal-
timore, but which have now been ſuffered

* This ſedge, as it is called, is a ſort of coarſe graſs, ſo hard
that cattle will not eat it, which ſprings up ſpontaneouſly, 1n
this part of the country, on the ground that has been left waſte;
it commonly grows about two feet high; towards winter it
turns yellow, and remains ſtanding until the enſuing ſummer,
when a new growth diſplaces that of the former year. At
its firſt ſpringing up it is of a bright green colour.

HOE'S FERRY. 139

to go to decay, as the land around them is
worn out, and the people find it more to their
intereſt to remove to another part of the
country, and clear a piece of rich land, than
to attempt to reclaim theſe exhauſted plains.
In conſequence of this, the country in many
of the lower parts of Maryland appears as
if it had been deſerted by one half of its in-
habitants.

Such a number of roads in different direc-
tions croſs over theſe flats, upon none of which
there is any thing like a direction poſt, and the
face of a human being is ſo rarely met with,
that it is ſcarcely poſſible for a traveller to
find out the direct way at once. Inſtead of
twelve miles, the diſtance by the ſtraight road
from Port Tobacco to the ferry, my horſe had
certainly travelled twice the number before
we got there. 'The ferry-houſe was one-of
thoſe old dilapidated manſions that formerly
was the reſidence perhaps of ſome wealthy
planter, and at the time when the fields yielded
their rich crops of tobacco would' have af-
forded ſome refreſhment to the weary travel-
ler; but in the ſtate I found it, it was the
picture of wretchedneſs and poverty. . After
having waited for two hours and a half for
my breakfaſt, the moſt I could procure was
two eggs, a pint of milk, and a bit of cake
bread, ſcarcely as big as my hand, and but lit-

tle

ſtop the men would procure abundance of them

% TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA
tle better than. dough. This I had alſo ta

divide with my ſervant, who came to inform
me, that there was abſolutely nothing to eat
in the houſe but what had been brought to
me. I could not but mention this circum.
ſtance to ſeveral perſons when I got into Vir-
ginia, and many of them informed me, that
they had experienced the ſame treatment.
themſelves at this houſe; yet this houſe had
the name of a tavern, What the white peo-
ple who inhabited it lived upon I could not
diſcover, but it was evident that they took
care of themſelves. As for the poor ſlaves, -
however, of which there were many in the
huts adjoining the tavern, they had a moſt
wretched appearance, and ſeemed to be half
ſtarved. The men and women were covered
with / rags, and the children were running
about ſtark naked.

After having got into the ferry boat, the
man of the houſe, as if conſcious that he had
given me very bad fare, told me that there
was a bank of oyſters in the river, cloſe to which
it was neceſſary to paſs, and that if I choſe to

for me. The curioſity of getting oyſters in
freſh water tempted me to ſtop, and the men got
near a buſhel of them in a very few minutes.
Theſe oyſters are extremely good when cooked,
but very difagrecable eaten raw; indeed all the

oyiters

—

EXCELLENT FISH. 141

oyſters found in America, not excepting what
are taken at New York, ſo cloſe to the ocean,
are, in the opinion of moſt Europeans, very in-
different and taſteleſs when raw. The Ame-
ricans, on their part, find ſtill greater fault with
our oyſters, which they ſay are not fit to be
eat in any ſhape, becauſe they taſte of cop-
per. The Patowmac, as well as the reſt of.

the rivers in Virginia, abounds with excellent

fiſh of many different kinds, as ſturgeon, ſhad,
roach, herrings, &c. which form a very prin-
cipal part of the food of the people living in
the neighbourhood of them.

The river at the ferry. is about three at
wide, and with particular winds the waves riſe

very high; in theſe caſes they always tie the

horſes, for fear of accidents, before they ſet
out; indeed, with the ſmall open boats which
they make uſe of, it is what ought always to

be done, for in this country guſts of wind riſe
ſuddenly, and frequently when they are not at
all expected: having omitted to take this pre-
caution, the boat was on the point of being
overſet two or three different times as I croſ-
{cd over.

On the Virginian ſhore, oppoſite to the ferry
houſe from whence I failed, there are ſeveral
large creeks, which fall into the Patowmac,
and it is impoſſible to croſs theſe on horſeback,
without riding thirty or forty miles up a ſandy

uni-

«Re > 25

„

== = 5
—_— * Mm
- s 4
*

- I. 7

„„ ⁵Ü³ͤ A Z Os i

ing been under the neceſſity of ſwimming any

142 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

unintereſting part of the country to the ford
or bridges. As I wiſhed to go beyond theſe
creeks, I therefore hired the boatmen to carry
me ten miles down the Patowrnac River inithe
ferry boat, paſt the mouths of them all; this
they accordingly did, and in the afternoon !
landed on the beach, not a little pleaſed at find-
ing that I had reached the ſhore without hay-

part of the way, for during the laſt hour the
horſes had not remained quiet for two minates
together, and on one or two occaſions, having
got both to the ſame fide of the boat, the trim
of it was very nearly deſtroyed, and it was
with the utmoſt difficulty that we preventyi it
from being overſer.

The part of the country where I landed ap-
peared to be a perfect wilderneſs; no traces of
a road or pathway were viſible on the look
white ſand, and the cedar and pine trees grey
ſo cloſely together on all ſides, that it was
ſcarcely poſſible to ſee farther forward in any
direction than one hundred yards. Taking:
courſe, however, as nearly as I could gueſs, in
a direct line from the river up the countty,
at the end of an hour I came upon a nartow
road, which led to a large old brick houfe,
ſomewhar fimilar to thoſe I had met with on
the Maryland ſhore. On enquiring here, from

two blacks, for a tavern, I was told there was
| no

VIRGITLNIANS. 143

no ſuch thing in this part of the country; that
in the houſe before me no part of the family
was at home; but that if I rode on a little
farther, I ſhould come to ſome other gentle-
men's houſes, where I could readily get ac-
commodation. In the courſe of five or fix
miles I ſaw ſeveral more of the ſame ſort of
old brick houſes, and the evening now draw-
ing towards a cloſe, I began to feel the neceſſity

of going to ſome one of them. I had ſeen no
perſon for ſeveral miles to tell me who any of
the owners were, and I was conſidering within
myſelf which houſe I ſhould viſit, when. a lively
old negro, mounted on a little horſe, came gal-
loping after me. On applying to him for infor-
mation on the ſubject, he took great pains to
aſſure me, that I ſhould be well received at any
one of the houſes T might ſtop at; he ſaid there
were no taverns in this part of the country,
and ſtrongly recommended me to proceed under
his guidance to his maſter's houſe, which was
but a mile farther on; Maſſer will be ſo glad
eto ſee to you, added he, nothing can be
like.” Having been apprized beforehand, that
it was cuſtomary in Virginia for a traveller to
go without ceremony to a gentleman's houſe,
when there was no tavern at hand, I accord-
ingly took the negro's advice, and rode to the
dwelling of his maſter, made him acquainted
with my ſituation, and begged I might be
4 EDN allowed

1% TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

allowed to put my horſes in his ſtable for the

night. The reception, however, which this

gentleman gave me, diftered ſo materially from
what I had been led to expect, that I was

happy at hearing from him, that there was a

good tavern at the diſtance of two miles. I

apologiſed for the liberty I, had taken, and

5 made the beſt of my way to it. Inſtead of two

N 4 miles, however, this tavern proved to be about

- three titnes as far off, and when I came to it, I

4 found it to be a moſt wretched hovel; but any

4 place was preferable to the houſe of a man fo

=_ thoroughly devoid of hoſpitality.

7 The next day I arrived at this place, the
reſidence of a gentleman, who, when at Phi-
ladelphia, had invited me to paſs ſome time

with him whenever 1 viſited Virginia. Some
ef the neighbouring gentlemen yeſterday dined

| here together, and having related to them my
al adventures on arriving in Virginia, the whole

4 company expreſſed the greateſt aſtoniſhment,

and aſſured me that it was never known be-

1 fore, in that part of Virginia, that a ſtranger

1 had been ſuffered to go away from a gentle-

2 © man's houſe, where he ſtopped, to a tavern, al-

though it was cloſe by. Every one ſeemed

_ eager to know the name of the perſon who

2» had given me ſuch a reception, and begged

— me to tell it. I did ſo, and the Virginians were

"vx ſatisfied, for the perſon was a — Scotchman,

N
* ; | | and
Y 4 1 . .

—
—
we

. - ST 4 > 4 - — 9 1 2
* * 4 % 4 = —_ o I \ = * f 3 2 3 <4
7 7? SIS. M Pro og. 7 = Pn” 775 a © |
2 þ ” 3 * b — 14 2 —
> p U ah
Ss —
_ AED *

„
E 5
*
—_
”
. oy
—

th
the

VIRGINIA. 145

and had, it ſeems, removed from ſome town or
other to the plantation on which I found him
but a ſhort time before. The Virginians in the
lower parts of the ſtate are celebrated for their
politeneſs and hoſpitality towards ſtrangers;
beyond the mountains there is a great differ-
ence in the manners of the inhabitants,

_—_—

— _— — —

LETTER XI.

Of the Northern Netk of Virginia. — Finſt ſettled
by the Engliſh. — Houſes built by them remain-
ing. Diſparity of Condition among it the In-
babitants.— Eſtates worked by Negroes.—
Condition of the Slaves.—Worſe in the Caro-
ſinas. Lands worn out by Cultroation of Jo-
bacco. — Mode of cultivating and curing To-
bacco.— Houſes in Virginia.—T hoſe of Wood
referred. Lower Claſſes of People in Vir-
ginia.— Their unhealthy Appearance.

Stratford, April.

HIS part of Virginia, ſituated between
the Patowmac and Rappahannock rivers,

is called the Northern Neck, and is remarka- '
ble for having been the birth place of many
of the principal characters, which diſtinguiſhed
themſelves in America, during the war, by
their great talents, General Waſhington at
Vor, I, L their

n — 1
N A 3 « 2
* 4 =o = IS I 2
— 1 1 — 4d king p C|
2 1 * "COS. EO * > «+4 pf 2
* N * p * 0 - ww 4 2 . 8 by = —

2 Tond” f EFST OF "FF 5 bo
p * IX 2 7 VIE
- 1 3 8 — —

145 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

their head. It was here that numbers” of
Engliſh gentlemen, who migrated when Vir-
ginia was a young colony, fixed their reſidence;
and ſeveral of the houſes which they built, ex.
actly ſimilar to the old manor houſes in Eng-
land, are ſtill remaining, particularly in the
counties cf Richmond and Weſtmoreland,
Some of theſe, like the houſes in Maryland,
are quite in ruins; others are kept in good
repair by the preſent occupiers, who live in
a ſtyle which approaches nearer to that of

Engliſh country gentlemen than what is to be

met with any where elſe on the continent,
ſome other parts of Virginia alone excepted,
Amongſt. the inhabitants here and in the
lower parts of Virginia there is a diſparity un-
known elſewhere in America, excepting it
the large towns. Inſtead of the lands being
equally divided, immenſe eſtates are held by
few individuals, who derive large incomes from
them, whilſt the generality of the people arc
but in a ſtate of mediocrity. Moſt of the men
alſo, who poſſeſs theſe · large eſtates, having te-
ceived liberal educations, which the others have
not, the diſtinction between them is ſtill more

* obſervable. I met with ſeveral in this neigh-

bourhood, who had been brought up at the
public ſchools and univerſities in England,
where, until the unfortunate war which ſep

rated the colonies from her, the young men
ES ox 3 Lone

MANUFACTURES. 147

were very generally educated ; and even ſtill
a few are ſent there, as the veneration for that
country from whence their anceſtors came,
and with which they were themſelves for a
long time afterwards connected, is by no means
yet extinguiſhed, |

There is by no means fo great a diſparity
now, however, amongſt the inhabitants of the
Northern Neck, as was formerly, and it is be-
coming leſs and lefs perceptible every year, _
many of the large eſtates having been divided :
in conſequenee of the removal of the proprie-
tors to other parts of the country that were
more healthy, and many more on account of
the preſent laws of Virginia, which do not per-
mit any one ſon to inherit the landed eſtates
of the father to the excluſion of his brothers.

The principal planters in Virginia have
nearly every thing they can want on their own
eſtates Amongſt their ſlaves are found tay-
lors, ſhoemakers, carpenters, ſmiths, turners,
wheelwrights, weavers, tanners, &c. I have
ſeen patterns of excellent coarſe woollen cloth
vey made in the country by flaves, and a variety
. of cotton manufactures, amongſt the reſt good
h- nankeen. Cotton grows here extremely well;
the Ui the plants are often killed by froſt in winter,
nd, but they always produce abundantly the firſt
pa · ¶ year in which they are ſown, The cotton from.
nel L 2 which

3 4 =. bo 4 * - = a <.
> Ft 8 * 2
= ** — * 9 3
. T » = -

a 1
* .

*
}
_
1
o
Q

*
S

_
8
£ =P

ESL

4 a
— — — — — — — —

82 2

— —

9
9

, 4
—

+ 6a wt
9 - a" F 1

4 7
— *

666 0 c

148 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :
which nankeen is made is of a particular kind,

naturally of a yellowiſh colour.

The large eſtates are managed by ſtewards
and overſeers, the proprietors juſt amuſing
themſelves with ſeeing what is going forward,
The work is done wholly by ſlaves, whoſe
numbers are in this part of, the country more
than double that of white perſons. The ſlaves
on the large plantations are in general very
well provided for, and treated with mildneſs,
During three months nearly, that I was in
Virginia, but two or three inſtances of ill treat-
ment towards them came under my obſerya-
tion. Their quarters, the name whereby
their habitations are called, are uſually ſituated
one or two hundred yards from the dwelling
houſe, which gives the appearance of a village
to the reſidence of every planter in Virginia;
when the eſtate, however, is ſo large as to be
divided into ſeveral farms, then ſeparate quar-
ters are attached to the houſe of the overſeer
on each farm. Adjoining their little habita-
tions, the ſlaves commonly have ſmall gardens
and yards for poultry, which are all their own
property ; they have ample time to attend to
their own concerns, and their gardens are ge-
nerally found well ſtocked, and their flocks of

poultry numerous. Beſides the food they
Taiſe for themſelves, they are allowed liberal

rations of ſalted pork and Indian corn. wy
0

LAV S. 149

of their little huts are comfortably furniſhed,
and they are themſelves, in general, extremely
well clothed. In ſhort, their condition is by
no means ſo wretched as might be imagined.
They are forced to work certain hours in the
day; but in return they are clothed, dieted, and
lodged comfortably, and faved all anxiety about
proviſion for their offspring. Still, however,
let the condition of a ſlave be made ever ſo
comfortable, as long as he is conſcious of being
the property of another man, who has it in his
power to diſpoſe of him according to the
dictates of caprice; as long as he hears people
around him talking of the bleſſings of liberty,
and conſiders that he is in a ſtate of bondage,
it is not to be ſuppoſed that he can feel equally
happy with the freeman. It is immaterial
under what form ſla very preſents itſelf, when-
ever it appears there is ample cauſe for hu-
manity to weep at the fight, and to lament that
men can be found ſo forgetful of their own
lituations, as to live regardleſs of the feelings
of their fellow creatures.

With reſpect to the policy of holding ſlaves

„any country, on account of the depravity of
# norals which it neceſſarily occaſions, beſides
het ne many other evil. conſequences ' attendant
2 oon it, ſo much has already been ſaid by

thers, that it is needleſs here to make any
omments on the ſubject. |

L 3 The

[any
of

S 2 8

_—_
1 %
- 1
—

1 L 2 *
d * * * 2 3 - P * p *

— r ˙ :X e r
12 — . r 2 0
: . 4 £28 &
' — 2

[| 70 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

The number of the ſlaves increaſes moſt ra,
pidly, ſo that there is ſcarcely any eſtate but
what is overſtocked. This is a circumſtance
complained of by every planter, as the main-
tenance of more than are requiſite for the cul.
ture of the eſtate is attended with great ex-
pence. Motives of humanity deter them from
ſelling the poor creatures, or turaing them
adrift from the ſpot where they have been
born and brought up, in the midſt of friend
and relations.

What I have here ſaid, reſpecting the condi
tion and treatment of ſlaves, appertains, it
muſt be remembered, to thoſe only wha an
upon the large plantations in Virginia; the let
of ſuch as are unfortunate enough to fall int
the hands of the lower claſs of white peo:
ple, and of hard taſk-maſters in the towns, i
very different. - In the Carolinas and Georgi
again, ſlavery preſents itſelf in very different
colours from what it does even in its worl
form in Virginia. I am told, that it is nl
uncommon thing there, to ſee gangs of ne
groes ſtaked at a horſe race, and to fee thek
unfortunate beings bandied about from one ſe

of drunken gamblers to another for days to: l:
gether. How much to be deprecated a *<
the laws which ſuffer ſuch abuſes to exiſt ! jel l
theſe are the laws enacted by people wil

monte of their loye of liberty and indepen **
dence

CULTIVATION. 151

dence, and who preſume to ſay, that it is in the
breaſts of Americans alone that the bleſſings
of freedom are held in juſt eſtimation.

The Northern Neck, with the exception
of ſome few ſpots only, is flat and fandy, and
abounds with pine and cedar trees. Some
parts of it are well cultivated, and afford good
crops; but theſe are ſo intermixed with ex-
tenſive tracts of waſte land, worn out by the
culture of tobacco, and which are almoſt deſti-
tute of verdure, that on tlie whole the country
has the appearance of barrenneſs,

This is the caſe wherever tobacco has been
made the principal obje& of cultivation. It
is not, however, ſo much owing to the great
ſhare of nutriment which the tobacco plant
requires, that the land is impoverithed, as to
the particular mode of cultivating it, which
renders it neceffary for people to be continually
walking between the plants from the moment
they are ſet out, ſo that the ground about each
plant js left expoſed to the burning rays of the
ſun all the ſummer, and becomes at the end
of the ſeaſon a hard beaten pathway. A ru-
nous ſyſtem has prevailed alſo of working the
lame piece of land year after year, till it was
totally exhauſted ; after this it was left neg-
lected, and a freſh piece of land was cleared,
that always produced good crops for one or two

ſeaſons; but this in its turn was worn out and
L4 afterwards

_—_
a7 4

» SS

#7 aSzHy

2 — >

—
% Le eg *

— AAA „ ACE. EE is -
5 PR 4 * 3 $1

waſte in this manner throw-up, in a very

— 8
_

152 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

afterwards left waſte. Many of the planters
are at length beginning to ſee the abſurdity of
wearing out their lands in this manner, and
now raiſe only one crop of tobacco upon a
piece of new land, then they ſow wheat for
two years, and afterwards clover. They put
on from twelve to fifteen hundred buſhels of
manure per acre at firſt, which is found to be
ſufficient both for the tobacco and wheat;
the latter is produced at the rate of about
twenty buſhels per acre.

In ſome parts of Virginia, the lands left

ſhort time, a ſpontaneous growth of pines
and cedars; in which caſe, being ſhaded from
the powerful influence of the ſun, they re-
cover their former fertility at the end of fif-
teen or twenty years; but in other part.
many years elapſe before any verdure ,appears
upon them. The trees ſpringing up in this
ſpontaneous manner - uſually grow very cloſe
to each other; they attain the height of fl
teen or twenty feet, perhaps, in the ſame num-
ber of years; there is, however, but very little
ſap in them, and in a ſhort, time after they are
cut down they decay.

Tobacco is raiſed and manufactured in the
following manner: When the ſpring is ſo far
advanced that every apprehenſion of the re-

turn of trolt 1 is baniſhed, a Convenient ſpot of
| ground

TOBACCO PLANTATIONS. | '” 83

ground is choſen, from twenty to one hundred
feet ſquare, whereon they burn ' prodigious
piles of wood; in order to deſtroy the weeds
and inſects. The warm aſhes are then dug
in with the earth, and the ſeed, which is
black, and remarkably ' ſmall, ſown. The
whole is next covered over with buſhes, to
prevent birds and flies, if poſſible, from get-
ting to it; but this, in general, proves very
ineffectual; for the plant ſcarcely appears
above ground, when it is attacked by a large
black fly of the beetle kind, which deſtroys
the leaves. Perſons are repeatedly ſent to
pick off theſe flies; but ſometimes, notwith-
ſtanding all their attention, ſo much miſchief
is done that very few plants are left alive.
As I paſſed through Virginia, I heard univer-
ſal complaints of the depredations they had
committed; the beds were almoſt wholly de-
ſtroyed. S
As ſoon as the young plants are ſufficiently
grown, which is generally in the beginning df
May, they are tranſplanted into fields, and
ſet out in hillocks, at the diſtance of three or
four feet from each other. Here again they
have other enemies to contend with; the
roots are attacked by worms, and between the
leaves and ſtem different flies depoſit theit
re- eggs, to the infallible ruin of the plant if not
quickly removed; it is abſolutely neceſſary,
therefore,

1 TRAVELS THROUGH. NORTH AMERICA:

therefore, as I have ſaid, for perſons to be
continually walking between the plants in or-
der to watch, and alſo to trim them at the
proper periods. The tops are broken off at a
certain height, and the ſuckers, which ſpring
out between the leaves, are removed as ſoon
as diſcovered, According alſo to the parti-
cular kind of tobacco which the planter wiſhes
1 to have, the lower, the middle, or the upper
=_ leaves are ſuffered to remain. The lower
leaves grow the largeſt ; they are alſo milder,
and more inclined to a yellow colour than thoſe
* growing towards the top of the plant.

my When arrived at maturity, which is ge-
= nerally about the month of Augaſt, the plants
#1 are cut down, pegs are driven into the ſtems,
15 and they are hung up in large houſes, built
* for the purpoſe, to dry. If the weather is not
— favourable for drying the leaves, fires are then
0 lighted, and the ſmoke is ſuffered to circulate
between the plants; this is alſo ſometimes
| ; done to give the leaves a browner colour than
= what they have naturally. After this they
| are tied up in bundles of fix or ſeven leaves
each, and thrown in heaps to ſweat; then
they are again dried. When ſufficiently cu-
red, the bundles are packed, by means of
preſſes, in hogſheads capableof containing eight
hundred or one thouſand pounds weight. The
planters ſend the tobacco thus packed to

the

TOBACCO WAREHOUSES. 153

the neareſt ſhipping town, where, before ex-

rtation, it is examined by an inſpector ap-
pointed for the purpoſe, who gives a certi-

ficate to warrant the ſhipping of it if it is

ſound and merchantable, if not, he ſends it
back to the owner. Some of the warehouſes

to which the tobacco is ſent for inſpection *

are very extenſive, and ſkilful merchants can
accurately tell the quality of the tobacco from
knowing the warchouſe at which it has been

inſpeted*, Where the roads are good and

dry, tobacco is ſent to the warehouſes in a
ſingular manner : Two large pins of wood
are driven into either end of the hogſhead
by way of axles; a pair of ſhafts, made for
the purpoſe, are attached to theſe, and the
hogſhead is thus drawn along by one or two
horſes; when this is done great care is taken
to have the hoops very ſtrong. :

Tobacco is not near ſo. much cultivated now

as it was formerly, the great demand for wheat

having induced moſt of the planters to raiſe
that grain in preference. Thoſe who raiſe to-

* By the laws of America, no produce which has undergone
any ſort of manufacture, as flour, potaſh, tobacco, rice, &c. can
be exported without inſpection, nor even put into a boat to be
conveyed down a river to a ſea port. The inſpectors are all
ſworn, are paid by the ſlates, and not ſuffered to take fees
from any individual. This is a moſt politic meaſure; for as
none but the beft of each article can be ſent out of the
country, it enhances the price of American produce in fo-
reign markets, and increaſes the demand.

bacco

4 2 * — — = i 4,
FP. 4 * A 1 _—_ At. K * 24 A
* . 22 * 6 2
" a * * — i * C S
p * * 9 * ; my C \
"3 PT l

cz. -<-
; : 1 4 *

2
#

7
_ g = *
J 2 4 7
* — —

* 4
+ —
>. oa} N i
t
- ＋

„ 1
"—_ *
2 oy

156 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

bacco and Indian corn are called planters, and
thoſe who cultivate ſmall grain, farmers,

Though many of the houſes in the Nor-
thern Neck are built, as I have ſaid, of brick
and , ſtone, in the ſtyle of the old Engliſh
manor houſes, yet the greater number there,
and throughout Virginia, ane of wood; a-
mongſt which are all thoſe that have been
built of late years. This is chiefly owing to
a prevailing, though abſurd opinion, that
wooden houſes are the healthieſt, becauſe the
inſide walls never appear damp, like thoſe of
brick and ſtone, in rainy weather. In front

of every houſe is a porch or pent-houſe, com-

monly extending the whole length of the build-
ing; very often there is one alſo in the rear,
and ſometimes all round. Theſe porches afford
an agreeable ſhade from the ſun during ſum-
mer. The hall, or ſaloon as it is called, is

always a favourite apartment, during the hot
weather, in a Virginian houſe, on account of

the draught of air through it, and it is uſually
furniſhed ſimilar to a parlour, with ſofas, &c.
The common people in the lower parts of
Virginia have very fallow complexions, owing
to 'the burning rays of the ſun in ſummer,
and the bilious complaints to which they are
ſubject in the fall of the year. The women
are far from being comely, and the dreſſes,
which they wear out of doors to guard them
from

'VIRGINIAN WOMEN. ' ©” $$

from the ſun, make them appear ſtill more
ugly than nature has formed them. There
is a kind of bonnet very commonly worn.
which, in particular, disfigures them ama-
zingly ; it is made with a caul, fitting cloſe
on the back part of the head, and a front
ſtiffened with ſmall pieces of cane, which
projects nearly two feet from the head in a
horizontal direction. To look at a perſon
at one fide, it is neceſſary for a woman wear-
ing a bonnet of this kind to turn her whole
body round.

In the upper parts of the country, tonne
the mountains, the women are totally different,
having a healthy comely appearance.

1 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA 4

LETTER XII.

Town of Tappahannock.,— Rappahannock Ri.
ver. —Sharks found in it —Country border
mg upon Urbanna.— Fires common in the
Woods.—Manner of ſtopping their dreadful
Progreſs. — Mode of getting Turpentine from

_ Trees —Gloucefter—York Toun.— Remaint
of the Fortifications erected here during the
American War.— Houſes ſhattered by - Balls
fill remaining. Cave in the Bank of the Ri-
ver —Willamſourgh.— State Houſe in Ruins,
Statue Lord Bottetourt, —College of Wit
liam and Mary.—Condition of the Students,

| Williamſburgh, April.

INCE I laſt wrote, the greater part of my

time has been ſpent at the houſes of dit-
ferent gentlemen in the Northern Neck.
Four days ago I croſſed the Rappahannock
River, which bounds the Northern Neck on
one fide, to a ſmall town called Tappa-
hannock, or Hobb's Hole, containing about
one hundred houſes. Before the war this
town was in a much more flouriſhing ſtate

than at preſent ; that unfortunate conteſt ru-

ined the trade of this little place, as it did
that of moſt of the ſea- port towns in Virginia.

The Rappahannock is about three quarters of
a a mile

<7 —

S NIFP IS. 1
4 mile wide oppoſite the town, which is ſeventy
miles above its mouth. Sharks are very often
ſeen in this river. What is very remarkable,
the fiſh are all found on the fide of the river
next to the town.

From Tappahannock to Urbana cane
ſmall town on the Rappahannock River, ſi-
tuated about twenty-five miles lower down,
the country wears but a poor aſpect.

The road, which is level and very andy
runs through woods for miles together. The
habitations that afe ſeen from it are but few,
and they are of the pooreſt deſcription. 'The
woods chiefly conſiſt of black oak, pine, and
cedar trees, which grow on land of the worſt
quality only.

On this road there are many creeks to be
croſſed, which empty themſelves into the Rap-
pahannock River, in the neighbourhood of
which there are extenſive. marſhes, that ren-
der the adjacent country, as may be ſuppoſed,
very unhealthy. Such a quantity of ſnipes
are ſeen in theſe marſhes continually, that it
would be hardly poſſible to fire a gun in a ho-
rizontal direction, and not kill many at one
ſhot.

As I paſſed through this partof the country;
] obſerved many traces of fires in the woods,
which are frequent, it ſeems, in the ſpring
of the year. mY uſually proceed from the

negligence

160 TRAVELS THROUGH: NORTH AMERICA:

negligence of people who are burning bruſk.
wood to clear the lands, and conſidering how
often they happen, it is wonderful that they
are not attended with more ſerious conſe-
quences than commonly follow. I was a wit
neſs myſelf to one of theſe fires, that hap-
pened in the Northern Neck. The day had
been remarkably ſerene, and appearing fa-
vourable for the purpoſe, large quantities of
bruſhwood had been fired in different places;
in the afternoon, however, it became ſultry,
and ſtreams of hot air were perceptible now
and then, the uſual tokens of a guſt. About
five o'clock, the horizon towards the north
became dark, and a terrible whirlwind aroſe.
I was ſtanding with ſome gentlemen on an
eminence at the time, and perceived it gra-
dually advancing. * It carried with it a cloud
of duſt, dried leaves,' and pieces of rotten
wood, and in many places, as it came along, it
levelled the fence rails and unroofed the ſheds
for the cattle. We made every endeavour,
but in vain, to get to a place of ſhelter; in
the | courſe of two minutes the whirlwind
overtook us; the ſhock was violent ; 1t was
hardly poſſible to ſtand, and difficult to
breathe ; the whirlwind paſſed over in about
three minutes, -but a ſtorm, accompanied by
heavy thunder and lightning, ſucceeded, which
laſted for more than half an hour. On looks

| ing

F IRE 8. 16s

ing round immediately after the whirlwind
had paſſed, a prodigious column of fire now
appeared in a part of the wood where
ſome bruſhwood had been burning ; in many
places the flames roſe conſiderably above 'the
ſummit of the trees, which were of a- large
growth. It was a tremendous, and at the
fame time ſublime fight. The negroes on
the ſurrounding plantations 'were all aſſembled
with their hoes, and watches were ſtationed at
every corner to give the alarm if the fire ap-
peared elſewhere, leſt the conflagration ſhould
become general. To one plantation a ſpark
was carried by the wind more than half a mile;
happily, however, a torrent of rain in a ſhort
time afterwards came pouring down, and ena-
bled the people to extinguiſh the flames in
every quarter, |

When theſe fires do not receive a timely
check, they 'ſometimes increaſe to a moſt
alarming height; and if the graſs and dead
leaves happen to be very dry, and the wind
brick, proceed with fo great velocity that the
d ſwifteſt runners are often overtaken in endea-
$ vouring to eſcape from the flames. Indeed I
0 have met with people, on whoſe veracity. the
t greateſt dependance might be placed, that have
aſſured me they have. found it-a difficult taſk,
at times, to get out of the reach of them,

though mounted on good horſes, |, 111
. 1. .- 2 There

| _ __ l bog 3 AN”
© = * = 4 F l . | þ La = *. = RS) 4 IJ
ER -, ˙ T A RS n 1 1

162 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA x

There is but one mode of ſtopping a fire
of this kind, which makes ſuch a rapid pro-
greſs along the ground. A number of other
fires are kindled at fome diſtance a head of
that which they wiſh to extinguiſh, ſo as to
form a line acroſs the courſe, which, from the
direction of the wind, it is likely to take,
Theſe are carefully watched by a ſufficient
number of men furniſhed with hoes and rakes,
and they are prevented from ſpreading, except
on that ſide which is towards the large fire,
a matter eaſily accompliſhed when attended to
in the beginning. Thus the fires in a few
minutes meet, and of conſequence they mull
ceaſe, as there is nothing left to feed them,
the graſs and leaves being burnt on all ſides.
In general there is but very little bruſhwood
in the woods of America, ſo that theſe fires
chiefly run along the ground; the trees, ho-
ever, are often ſcorched, but it is very rare
for any of them to be entirely conſumed.

The country between Urbanna and Glow
ceſter, a town ſituated upon York River, 5
neither ſo ſandy nor ſo flat as that bordering
upon the Rappahannock. The trees, chief
pines, are of a very large ſize, and afford
abundance of turpentine, which is extracted
from them in great quantities by the inha-
bitants, principally, however, for home con-
ſumption, The turpentine is got by cut-

9 | | ting

Z
* 888 1

GLOUCESTER AND YORE 63
ting a large gaſh in the tree, and ſetting 2
trough underneath to receive the reſinous mat-
ter diſtilled from the wound. The trees thus
drained laſt but a ſhort time after they are cut
down. In this neighbourhood there are num-
bers of ponds or ſmall lakes, ſurrounded by
woods, along ſome of which the views are very
pleaſing. From moſt of them are falls of
water into ſome creek or river, which afford
excellent ſeats for mills.

Glouceſter contains only ten or twelve
houſes; it is ſituated on a neck of land nearly
oppoſite to the town of Vork, which is at the
other ſide of the river. There are remains
here of one or two redoubts thrown up during
the war. The river between the two places
is about one mile and a half wide, and affords
four fathom and a half of water.

The town of York conſiſts of about ſeventy

| houſes, an epiſcopalian church, and a gaol.

It is not now more than one third of the fize
it was before the war, and it does not appear
likely ſoon to recover its former flouriſhing
ſtate, Great quantities of tobacco were for-
merly inſpected here; very little, however, is
now raiſed in the neighbourhood, the people
having got into a habit of cultivating wheat
in preference. The little that is ſent for in-
ſpection is reckoned to be of the very beſt

M 2 quality,

he was ſoon forced to quit it. Neilſon, how-

264 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

quality, and is all engaged for the London
market. k
York is remarkable for having been the
place where Lord Cornwallis ſurrendered his
army to the combined forces of the Ameri-
cans and French. A few of the redoubts,
which were erected by each army, are till re-
maining, but the principal fortifications, are
almoſt quite obliterated ; the plough has paſſed
over ſome of them, and groves of pine trees
ſprung up about others, though, during the
ſiege, every tree near the town was deſtroyed.
The firſt and ſecond parallels can juſt be
traced, when pointed out by a perſon ac.
quainted with them in a more perfect ſtate,
In the town the houſes bear evident marks
of the ſiege, and the inhabitants will not, on
any account, ſuffer the holes perforated by the
cannon balls to be repaired on the outſide,
There is one houſe in particular, which ſtands
in the ſkirt of the town, that is in a moſt
ſhattered condition. It was the habitation
of a Mr. Neilſon, a ſecretary under the regal
government, and was made the head quarters
of Lord Cornwallis when he firſt came to
the town; but it ſtood ſo much expoſed, and
afforded ſo good a mark to the enemy,, that

ever, it ſeems, was determined to ſtay there

YORK TOWN. 165

till the laſt, and abſolutely remained till his
negro ſervant, the only perſon that would live
with him in ſuch a houſe, had his brains daſhed
out by a cannon ſhot while he ſtood by his
fide; he then thought it time to retire, but
the houſe was ſtill continually fired at, as if
it had been head quarters. The walls and
roof are pierced in innumerable places, and at
one corner a large piece. of the wall is torn
away; in this ſtate, however, it is ſtill in-
habited in one room by ſome perſon or other
equally fanciful as the old ſecretary. There
are trenches thrown up round it, and on
every fide are deep hollows made by the
bombs that fell near it. Till within a year
or two the broken ſhells themſelves remained ;
but the New England men that traded to
York finding they would ſell well as old iron,
dug them up, and carried them away in their
ſhips.

The banks of the river, where the town
ſtands, are high and inacceſſible, excepting in
a few places; the principal part of the town
is built on the top of them; a few fiſhing
huts and ſtorehouſes merely ſtand at the bot-
tom. A cave is ſhewn here in the banks,
deſcribed by the people as having been the
place of head-quarters during the ſiege, after
the cannonade of the enemy became warm;
but in reality it was formed and hung with

M 3 green

166 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

green baize for a lady, either the wife or 20.
quaintance of an officer, who was terrified with
the idea of remaining in the town, and died of
fright after her removal down to the cave,

Twelve miles from York, to the weſtward,
ſtands Williamſburgh, formerly the ſeat of go-
vernment in Virginia. Richmond was fixed
upon during the war as a more ſecure place,
being farther removed from the ſea coaſt, and
not ſo much expoſed todepredations if anene-
my were to land unexpectedly. Richmond
alſo had the advantage of being ſituated at the
head of a navigable river, and was therefore
likely to increaſe to a ſize which the other never
could attain. It is wonderful, indeed, what
could have induced people to fix upon the
ſpot where Williamſburgh ſtands for a town,
in the middle of a plain, and one mile and 4
half removed from any navigable ſtream, when
there were ſo many noble rivers in the neigh:
bourhood.

The town conſiſts of one principal ſtreet,
and two others which run parallel to it. At
one end of the main ſtreet ſtands the college,
and at the other end the old capitol or ſtate
houſe, a capacious building of brick, nov
crumbling to pieces from negligence, The
houſes around it are moſtly uninhabited, and
preſent a melancholy picture. In the hall &

the capitol ſtands a maimed ſtatue of lots
Botetourt,

WILLIAMSBURGH COLLEGE. 167

Botetourt, one of the regal governors of Vir-
inia, erected at the public expence, in me-
mory of his lordſhip's equitable and popular
adminiſtration. During the war, when party
rage was at its higheſt pitch, and every thing
pertaining to royalty obnoxious, 'the head and
one arm of the ſtatue were knocked off; it
now remains quite expoſed, and is more and
more defaced every day. Whether the motto,
« Reſurgo rege favente,” inſcribed under the
coat of arms, did or did not help to bring
upon it its preſent fate, I cannot pretend to
ſay; as it is, it certainly remains a monument
of the extinction of monarchical power in
America.

The college of William and Mary, as it is
{till called, ſtands at the oppoſite end of the
main ſtreet; it is a heavy pile, which bears,
as Mr. Jefferſon, I think, fays, © a very cloſe
reſemblance to a large brick kiln, excepting
that it has a roof.” The ſtudents were about
thirty in number when I was there: from
their appearance one would imagine that the
ſeminary ought rather to be termed a gram-
mar ſchool than a college; yet I underſtand
the viſiters, ſince the preſent revolution, find-
ing it full of young boys juſt learning the ru-
ad diments of Greek and Latin, a circumſtance
which conſequently deterred others more ad-
rd M4 vanced

166 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

vanced from going there, dropped the pto-
feſſorſhips for theſe two languages, and eſta.
{ bliſhed others in their place. The profeſſor-
ſhips, as they now ſtand, are for law, me-
dicine, natural and moral philoſophy, mathe.
matics, and modern languages. The} biſhop
of Virginia is prefident of the college, .
has apartments in the buildings. Half a do-
zen or more of the ſtudents, the eldeſt about
twelve years old, dined at his table one day
that I was there; ſome were without ſhoes
or ſtockings, others without coats. During
dinner they conſtantly roſe to help themſelves
at the ſide board. A couple of diſhes of ſalted
meat, and ſome oyſter ſoup, formed the whole
of the dinner. I only mention this, as it
may convey ſome little idea of American col-
leges and American dignitaries.
The epiſcopalian church, the only one in
the place, ſtands in the middle of the main
ſtreet; it is much out of repair. On either
ſide of it is an extenſive green, ſurrounded
with neat looking houſes, which bring to mind
an Engliſh village.
The town contains about twelve hundred
inhabitants, and the ſociety in it is thought to
be more extenſive and more genteel at the
fame time than what is to be met with in
any other place of its ſize in America. No
manufactures

r oo =

t 165 7

mnufactures are carried on here, and ſcarcely

any trade. |
There is an hoſpital here for lunatics, but

it docs not appear to be well regulated.

LETTER XIII.

Hampton.— Ferry to Norfolk.— Danger in
croſſing the numerous Ferries in Virginia.
Norfolk.—Laws of Virginia injurious to the
Trading Intereſt. —Streets narrow and dirty
in Norfolk.—Yellow Fever there. — Obſerva-
tions on this Diſorder. — Violent Party Spirit
among ft the Inhabitants — Few Churches in
Virginia. — Several in Ruins. Private Grave

Yards.

Norfolk, April.

FROM Williamſburgh to Hampton the
country is flat and unintereſting. Hamp-
ton is a ſmall town, fituated at the head of
a bay, near the mouth of James River, which
contains about thirty houſes and an epiſcopa-
lian church. A few ſea boats are annually
built here; and corn and lumber are exported
annually to the value of about forty-two thou-
land dollars. It is a dirty diſagreeable place,
always

ns we 1 dy. -
C 2 3 *
k a * oy . ,
* £ — ethos . Ad - 1
r *

170 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

always infeſted by a ſhocking ſtench Wan 4
muddy ſhore when the tide is out.

From this town there is a regular ferry to
Norfolk, acroſs Hampton roads, eighteen miles
over. I was forced to leave my horſes here
behind me for ſeveral days, as all the flats
belonging to the place had been ſent up a creek
ſome miles for ſtaves, &c. and they had no
other method of getting horſes into the ferry
boats, which were too large to come cloſe into
ſhore, excepting by carrying them out in theſe
flats, and then making them leap on board,
It is a moſt irk ſome piece of buſineſs to croſs
the ferries in Virginia ; there is not one in fix
where the boats are good and well manned,
and it is neceflary to employ great circum-
ſpection in order to guard againſt accidents,
which are but too common. As ] paſſed along
I heard of numoerleſs recent inſtances of horſes
being drowned, killed, and having their legs
broken, by getting in and out of the boats.

Norfolk ſtands nearly at the mouth of the
eaſtern branch of Elizabeth River, the moſt
fouthern of thoſe which empty themſelves into
the Cheſapeak Bay. It is the largeſt commer-
cial town in Varginia, and carries on a flour-
iſhing trade to the Weſt Indies. The exports
conſiſt principally of tobacco, flour, and corn,
and various kinds of lumber; of the latter it

derives- an ĩnexhauſtible ſupply from the Diſ-
mal

| NORFOLK. 171
mal Swamp, immediately in the neighbour-
hood. | |

Norfolk would be a place of much greater
trade than it is at preſent, were it not for the
impolicy of ſome laws which have exiſted in
the ſtate of Virginia. One of theſe laws, ſo
injurious to commerce, was paſled during the
war. By this law it was enacted, that all mer-
chants and planters in Virginia, who owed mo-
ney to Britiſh merchants, ſhould be exonerated
from their debts if they paid the money due
into the public treaſury inſtead of ſending it to
Great Britain; and all ſuch as ſtood indebted
were invited to come forward, and give their
money in this manner, towards the ſupport of
the conteſt in which America was then en-
caged,

The treaſury at firſt did not become much
richer in conſequence of this law; for the Vir-
ginian debtor, individually, could gain nothing
by paying the money that he owed into the
treaſury, as he had to pay the full ſum which
was due to the Britiſh merchant; on the con-
trary, he might loſe conſiderably : his credit
would be ruined in the eyes of the Britiſh mer-
chant by ſuch a meaſure, and it would be a
great impediment to the renewal of a com-
mercial intercourſe between them after the

concluſion of the war.
However,

9 0
, L
Li
41 p
& -v

172 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

However, when the continental paper mo-
ney became ſo much depreciated, that one
Hundred paper dollars were not worth one in
ſilver, many of the people, who ſtood deeply
indebted to the merchants in Great Britain,
began to look upon the meaſure in a different
point of view; they now ſaw a poſitive ad-
vantage in paying their debts into the treaſury
in theſe paper dollars, which were a legal ten-
der; accordingly they did ſo, and in conſe-
quence were exonerated of their debts by the
laws of their country, though in reality they
had not paid more than one hundredth part of
them. In vain did the Britiſh merchant fue
for his money when hoſtilities were termina-
ted ; he could obtain no redreſs in any court of
Juſtice in Virginia, Thus juggled out of his
property he naturally became diſtruſtful of the
Virginians; he refuſed to trade with them on
the ſame terms as with the people of the other
ſtates, and the Virginians have conſequently
reaped the fruits of their very diſhonourable
conduct *.

Another law, baneful in the higheſt degree
to the trading intereſt, is one which renders

In February 1796, this nefarious buſineſs was at laſt
brought before the ſupreme court of the United States in Phi-
ladelphia, by the agents of the Britiſh merchants, and the de-
ciſion of the judges was ſuch as redounded to their honour z for
they declared that theſe debts ſhould all be . over again,
bona fide, to the Britiſh merchant. | ll

IMTOLI TIC LA WS. ws
all landed property inviolable. This law has

induced numbers to run into debt; and as long
as it exiſts foreigners will be cautious of giving
credit to a large amount to men who, if they
chuſe to purchaſe a tract of land with the goods
or money entruſted to their care, may ſit down
upon it ſecurely, out of the reach of all their
creditors, under protection of the laws of the
country. Owing to this law they have not yet
been enabled to get a bank eſtabliſhed in Nor-
folk, though it would be of the utmoſt im-
portance to the traders. The directors of the
bank of the United States have always pe-
remptorily refuſed to let a branch of it be fixed
in any part of Virginia whilſt this law remains.
In Boſton, New York, Baltimore, Charleſton,
Xe. there are branches of the bank of the
United States, beſides other banks, eſtabliſhed
under the ſanction of the ſtate legiſlature.
Repeated attempts have been made in the
ſtate aſſembly to get this laſt mentioned law
repealed, but they have all proved ineffectual.
The debates have been very warm on the bu-
ſineſs, and the names of the majority, who
voted for the continuation of it, have been pu-
bliſhed, to expoſe them if poſſible to infamy,;
but ſo many have ſheltered themſelves under
its ſanction, and ſo many ſtil] find an intereſt
in its continuance, that it is not likely to be

ſpeedily repealed, 1
6

*
[]
oy
4"
4
4
1
bd
&
1
.
I's
9
.
4
1

194 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

The houſes in Norfolk are about five hun-
dred in number; by far the greater part of
them are of wood, and but meanly built.
Theſe have all been erected ſince the year 1776;
when the town was totally deſtroyed by fire,
by the order of Lord Dunmore, then regal go-
yernor of Virginia. The loſſes ſuſtained on
that occaſion were eſtimated at J. 300,000
ſterling. Towards the - harbour the ſtreets
are narrow and irregular; in the other parts of
the town they are tolerably wide; none of
them are paved, and all are filthy; indeed, in
the hot months of ſummer, the ſtench that
proceeds from ſome of them is horrid. That
people can be thus inattentive to cleanlineſs,
which is ſo conducive to health, and in a town
where a tixth part of the people died in one
year of a peſtilential diſorder, is moſt wonder-
ful !! *

Amongſt

* The yellow fever, which has committed ſuch dreadful ra-
vages of late years in America, is certainly to be conſidered as a
fort of plague. It firſt appeared at Philadelphia in the year
17933 in 1794 it appeared at Baltimore; in 1795, at New York
and Norfolk; and in 1796, though the matter was huſhed up as
much as poſſible, in order to prevent an alarm, ſimilar ta that
which had injured' the city ſo much the preceding year, yet in
New York a far greater number of deaths than uſual were
heard of during the ſummer and autumn, ſtrongly ſuppoſed to
bave been occaſioned by the ſame malignant diſorder.

The accounts. given of the- calamitous eonſequences atten-
dant upon it, in theſe different places, ate AH: much alike, ard
p nearly

-
ct

YELLOW FEVER, 55
Amongſt the inhabitants are great numbers

of Scotch and French. The latter are almoſt
entirely

nearly fimilar to thoſe given of the plague: The people dying
ſuddenly, and under the moſt ſhocking circumſtances—ſuch as
were well flying away—the fick abandoned, and periſhing
for want of common neceſſaries—the dead buried in heaps to-
gether without any ceremony) charity at an end—the ties of
friendſhip and conſznguinity diſregarded by many—others, on
the contrary, nobly coming forward, and at the hazard of their
own lives doing all in their power to relieve their fellow citizens,
and avert the general woe. At Philadelphia, in the ſpace
of about tkree months, no leſs than four thouſand inhabitants
were ſwept off by this dreadful malady, a number, at that
time, amounting to about one tenth of the whole. Baltimore
and New York did not ſuffer. ſo ſeverely ; but at Norfolk, which
is computed to contain about three thouſand people, i no lels
than five hundred fell victims to it.

The diſorder has been treated very differently by different
phyſicians, and as ſome few have ſurvived under each ſyſtem
that has been tried, no general one has yet been adopted. I was
told, however, by ſeveral people in Norfolk, who reſided in the
moſt ſickly part of the town during the whole time the fever
laſted, that as a preventative medicine, a ſtrong mercurial purge
was very generally adminiſtered, and afterwards Peruvian bark;
and that few of' thoſe who had taken this medicine were at-

tacked by the fever. All however that can be done by me-

dicine to ſtop the progreſs of the diſorder, when it has broke
Out in a town, ſeems to be of no very great effect; for as long as
the exceſſive hot weather laſts the fever rages, but it regularly
diſappears on the approach of cold weather. With regard to
its origin there have been alſo various opinions; ſome have
contended that it was imported into every place where it ap-
peared from the Weſt Indies; others, that it was generated in

the country, -Theſe- opinions have been ably ſupported on

either fide of the queſtion by medical men; who reſided at the
different places where the fever has appeared. There are a feq
Notorious circumſtances, however, which:lead me, as an indivi-

dual,

176 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA 5

entirely from the Weſt Indies, and principally
from St. Domingo. In ſuch prodigious num-
bers did they flock over after the Britiſh
forces had got footing in the French iſlands,
that between two and three thouſand were
in Norfolk at one time ; moſt of them, how-
ever, afterwards diſperſed themſelves through-
out different parts of the country; thoſe who
ſtaid in the town opened little ſhops of dif-
ferent kinds, and amongſt them I found many
who had been in affluent circumſtances before
they were driven from their homes.

A ſtrong party fpirit has always been pre-
valent amongſt the American inhabitants of
this town; ſo much ſo that a few years ago,

dual, to think that the fever has been generated on the A-
merican continent. In the firſt place, the fever has always
broken out in thoſe parts of towns which were moſt cloſely
built, and where the ſtreets have been ſuffered through neg-
ligence to remain foul and naſty ; in the ſecond place, it has
regularly broken out during the hotteſt time of the year, in the
months of July and Augull, when the air on the American
coaſt is for the molt part ſtagnant and ſultry, and when ve-
getable and animal matter becomes putrid in an incredible
ſhort ſpace of time; thirdly, numbers of people died of the

diforder in New York, in the year 1796, notwithſtanding

that every Weſt Indian veſſel which entered the port that ſeaſon
was examined by the health officer, a regular bred phyſician,
and that every one ſuſpected was obliged to perform quaran-
tine. The people in New York are ſo fully perſuaded that
the fever originates in America from putrid matter, that they
have ſtopped up one or two docks, which were receptacles
for the filth of the neighbourhood, and which comaminated

the air when the tide was out.
when

0 KA * N — — _

when ſome Engliſh and French veſſels of war
were lying in Hampton roads, and the failors,
from each, on ſhore, the whole people were
up and ready to join them, on the one fide or
the other, in open conteſt ; but the mayor drew
out the militia, and ſent them to their reſpec-
tive homes. £9

Here are two churches, one for epiſcopa-
lians, the other for methodiſts. In the for-
mer, ſervice 1s not performed more than once
in two or three weeks, and very little regard is
paid by the people in general to Sunday. In-
deed, throughout the lower parts of Virginia,
that is, between the mountains and the ſea,
the people have ſcarcely any ſenſe of religion,
and in the country parts the churches are all
falling into decay. As I rode along, I ſcarcely
obſerved one that was not in a ruinous con-
dition, with the windows broken, and doors
dropping off the hinges, and lying open to the
pigs and cattle wandering about the woods;
yet many of theſe were not paſt repair. The
churches in Virginia, excepting ſuch as are in
towns, ſtand for the moſt part in the woods,
retired from any houſes, and it does not appear
that any perſons are appointed to pay the ſmall-
eſt attention to them.

A cuſtom prevails in Norfolk, of private in-
dividuals holding grave yards, which are looked
upon as a very lucrative kind of property, the
Vor. I, 4 . af owners

178 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

owners receiving conſiderable fees annually
for giving permiſſion to people to bury their
dead in them. It is very common alſo to ſee,
in the large plantations in Virginia, and not
far from the dwelling houſe, cemeteries walled
in, where the people of the family are all
buried. Theſe cemeteries /are generally built
adjoining the garden.

USTTER XIV.

Deſeription of Diſmal Swamp. — Mild Men
found in it.— Bears, Wolves, &c.—Country
between Swamp and Richmond. Mode of mak-
ing Tar and Pitch.—Poor Soil. — M retched
Taverns.—Corn Bread. — Difficulty of get-
ting Food for Horſes. — Peterſburgh. — Horſe
Races there.— Deſcription of Virginian Horſes.
Stile of Riding in America. —Deſcriptun
of Richmond, Capital of Virginia. — Singular
Bridge acroſs James River.—State Houſe.
— Falls of James River, Gambling common
in Richmond. — Lower Claſſes of People very
quarrelſome.— Their Mode of Fighting. =
Couging.

ä Richmond, May.
N M Norfolk I went to look at the great
Diſmal Swamp, which commences at the
diſtance of nine miles from the town, and ex-
tends

|
|

GREAT SWAMP, 179

tends into North Carolina, occupying in the
whole about one hundred and fifty thouſand
acres. This great tract is entirely covered with
trees; Juniper and cypreſs trees grow where
there is molt moiſture, and on the dry parts,
white and red oaks and a variety of pines.
Theſe trees grow to a moſt enormous ſize,
and between them the bruſhwood ſprings up
ſo thick that the ſwamp in many parts is abſo-
Jutely impervious. In this reſpect it differs to-
tally from the common woods in the country.
It abounds alſo with cane reeds, and with long
rich graſs, upon which cattle feed with great
avidity, and become fat in a very ſhort ſpace
of time; the canes, indeed, are conſidered to
be the very beſt green food that can be
given to them. The people who live on the

borders of the ſwamp drive all their cattie into

it to feed; care however is taken to train them
to come back regularly to the farms every
night by themſelves, otherwiſe it would be im-
poſſible to find them. This is effected by
turning into the ſwamp with them, for the firſt
tew weeks they are ſent thither to feed, two or
three old milch cows accuſtomed to the place,
round whoſe necks are faſtened ſmall bells.
The cows come back every evening to be
milked ; the reſt of the cattle herd with theſe,
tollowing the noiſe of the bells, and when they
return to the farm a handful of ſalt, or ſome-

N 2 thing

450 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :
thing of which they are equally fond, is given

to each as an inducement for them to return
again. In a ſhort time the cattle become fa-
miliar with the place, and having been accuſ-
tomed from the firſt day to return, they regularly
walk to the farms every evening.

In the interior parts of the ſwamp large
herds of wild cattle are found, moſt probably
originally loſt on being turned in to feed. Bears,
wolves, deer, and other wild indigenous animals
are alſo met with there. Stories are common
in the neighbourhood of wild men having been
found in it, who were loſt, it is ſuppoſed, in the
fwamp. when children.

The ſwamp varies very much in different
parts; in ſome the ſurface of it is quite dry,
and firm enough to bear a horſe; in others it
is overflowed with water; and elſewhere fo
miry that a man would ſink up to his neck
if he attempted to walk upon it; in the
drieſt part, if a trench is cut only a few feet
deep, the water guſhes in, and it is filled im-
' mediately, Where the canal to connect the
water of Albemarle Sound with Norfolk is
cut, the water in many places flows in from
the ſides, at the depth of three feet from the
ſurface, in large ſtreams, without intermiſſion ;
in its colour it exactly reſembles brandy,
which is ſuppoſed to be occaſioned by the
roots of the juniper trees; it is perfectly clear
however,

"CANAL 181

however, and by no means unpalatable ; it
is ſaid to poſſeſs a diuretic quality, and the
people in the neighbourhood, who think it
very wholeſome, prefer it to any other. Cer-
tainly there is ſomething very uncommon in
the nature of this ſwamp, for the people liv-
ing upon the borders of it do not ſuffer by
fever and ague, or bilious complaints, as is
generally the caſe with thoſe reſident in the
neighbourhood of other ſwamps and marſhes.
Whether it is the medicinal quality of the
water, however, which keeps them in better
health or not, I do not pretend to determine.
As the Diſmal Swamp lies ſo very near to
Norfolk, where there is a conſtant demand
for ſhingles, ſtaves, &c. for exportation, and
as the very beſt of theſe different articles are
made from the trees growing upon the ſwamp,
it of courſe becomes a very valuable ſpecies
of property. The canal which is now cut-
ting through it will alſo enhance its value, as
when it is completed, lumber can then be
readily ſent from the remoteſt parts. The
more ſouthern parts of it, when cleared, an-
{wer uncommonly well for the culture of rice;
but in the neighbourhood of Norfolk, as far
as ten feet deep from the ſurface, there ſeems
to be nothing but roots and fibres of differ-
ent herbs mixed with a whitiſh fand, which
would not anſwer for the purpoſe, as rice

N 3 requires

_— 2 ja TIO 2 TS n
= 1 | _— - D * = EIS

182 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

requires à very rich foil. The trees, however,
that grow upon it, are a moſt profitable crop,
and inſtead of cutting them all down promiſ-
cuouſly, as commonly is done, they only fell
ſuch as have attained a large ſize, by which
means they have a continued ſucceſſion ior the
manufacture of thoſe articles I mentioned,
Eighty thouſand acres of the ſwamp are the
property of a company incorporated under the
title of The Diſmal Swamp Company.“ Be-
fore the war broke out a large number of ne-
groes was conſtantly employed by the com-
pany in cutting and manufacturing ſtaves, &c.
and their affairs were going on very proſpe-
rouily; but at the time that Norfolk was burnt
they loſt all their negroes, and very little has
been done by them ſince. The lumber that
is now ſent to Norfolk is taken principally
off thoſe parts of the ſwamp which are private
property.

From the Diſmal Swamp to Richmond, a
diſtance of about one hundred and forty miles,
along the ſouth fide of James River, the coun-
try is flat and ſandy, and for miles together
entirely covered with pine trees. In Nanſe-
monde county, bordering on the Swamp, the
ſoil is ſo poor that but very little corn or
grain is raiſed; it anſwers well however ſor
peach orchards, which are found to be very
profitable. From the peaches they make

brandy,

ac couMODAT ION. 183

brandy, and when properly matured it is an
excellent liquor, and much eſteemed; they
give it a very delicious flavour in this part
of the country by infuſing dried pears in it.
Spirit and water is the univerſal beverage
throughout Virginia. They alſo make conſi-
derable quantities of tar and pitch from the
pine trees, For this purpoſe a ſort of pit is
dug, in which they burn large piles of the
trees. The tar runs out, and is depoſited at
the bottom of the pit, from whence it is ta-
ken, cleared of the bits of charcoal that may
be mixed with it and put into barrels. The
tar, inſpiſſated by boiling, makes pitch.

The accommodation at the taverns along
this road I found moſt wretched; nothing
was to be had but rancid fiſh, fat falt pork, and
bread made of Indian corn. For this indiffe-
re t fare aiſo I had to wait oftentimes an hour
or two. Indian corn bread, if well made,
is tolerably good, but very few people can
reliſh it on the firſt trial; it is a coarſe, ſtrong
kind of bread, which has ſomething of the
taſte of that made from oats. The beſt way
ot preparing it is in cakes ; the large loaves
made of it are always like dough in the
middle, There is a diſh alſo which they
make of Indian corn, very common in Vir-
ginia and Maryland, called «© hominy.” It
conſiſts of pounded Indian corn and beans
N 4 boiled

—

184 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:
boiled together with milk till the whole maſs

becomes firm. This is cat, either hot or cold,
with bacon, or with other meat.

As for my horſes, they were almoſt ſtarved.
Hay is ſcarcely ever made ule of in this part
of the country, but in place of it they feed
their cattle upon fodder, that is, the leaves of
the Indian corn plant. Not a bit of fodder,
however, was to be had on the whole road
from Norfolk to Richmond, excepting at two
places ; and the ſeaſon having been remark-
ably dry, the little graſs' that had ſprung up
had been eat down every where by the cattle
in the country. Oats were not to be had on
any terms; and Indian corn was fo ſcarce, that
I had frequently to ſend to one or two diffe-
rent houſes before I could get even ſufficient
to give one feed each to my horſes. The
people in the country endeavoured to account
for this ſcarcity from the badneſs of the har-
veſt the preceding year; but the fact, I be-
lieve, was, that corn for exportation having
been in great demand, and a moſt enormous
price offered for it, thepeople had been tempt-
ed to diſpoſe of a great deal more than they
could well ſpare. Each perſon was eager to
ſell his own corn to ſuch advantage, and de-
pended upon getting ſupplied by his neigh-
bour, ſo that they were all reduced to want.

Peterſburgh ſtands at the head of the na-

| vigable

HORSE RACING. 185

vigable part of Appamatox River, and is the
only place of conſequence ſouth of James
River, between Norfolk and Richmond.
The reſt of the towns, which are but very
ſmall, ſeem to be faſt on the decline, and pre-
ſent a miſerable and melancholy appearance.
The houſes in Peterſburgh amount to about
three hundred; they are built without any re-
cularity. The people who inhabit them are
moſtly foreigners ; ten families are not to be
found in the town that have been born in it.
A very flouriſhing trade is carried on in this
place. About two thouſand four hundred
hogſheads of tobacco are inſpected annually at
the warehouſes ; and at the falls of the Ap-
pamatox River, at the upper end of the
town, are ſome of the beſt flour mills in the
ſtate.

Great crowds were aſſembled at this place,
as I paſſed through, attracted to it by the
horſe races, which take place four or five
times in the year. Horſe racing is a favourite
amuſement in Virginia; and it is Carried on
with ſpirit in different parts of the ſtate. The
beſt bred horſes which they have are imported
from England; but ſtill ſome of thoſe raiſed
at home are very good. They uſually run for
purſes made up by ſubſcription. The only
particular circumſtance in their mode of car-
rying on their races in Virginia is, that they
3 Wy always

156 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

always run to the left; the horſes are com-
monly rode by negro boys, ſome of whom. are
really good jockies.

The horſes in common ule in Virginia are
all of a light deſcription, chiefly adapted for
the ſaddle ; ſome of them are handſome, but
they are for the moſt part ſpoiled by the falſe
gaits which they are taught. The Virginians
are wretched horſemen, as indeed are all the
Americans I ever met with, excepting ſome
few in the neighbourhood of New York.
They ſit with their toes juſt under the horſe's
noſe, their ſtirrups being left extremely long,
and the ſaddle put about three or four inches
forward on the mane. As for the manage-
ment of the reins, it is what they have no
conception of. A trot is odious to them, and
they expreſs the utmoſt aſtoniſhment at a
perſon who can like that uneaſy gait, as they
call it. The favourite gaits which all their
horſes are taught, are a pace and a rack, In
the firſt, the animal moves his two feet on
one fide at the ſame time, and gets on with
a fort of ſhuffling motion, being unable to
ſpring from the ground on theſe two feet as
in z trot. We ſhould call this an unnatural
gait, as none of our horſes would ever move
in that manner without a rider; but the. Ame-
ricans inſiſt upon it that it is otherwiſe, be-

cauſe many of their foals pace as ſoon as born.
| Theſe

RICHMOND, 187
Theſe kind of horſes are called “ natural

pacers, and it is a matter of the utmoſt diffi-
culty to make them move in any other man-
ner; but it is not one horſe in five hundred
that would pace without being taught. In
the wrack, the horſe gallops with his fore
feet, and trots with thoſe behind. This is a
gait equally devoid of grace with the other,
and equally contrary to nature ; it is very fa-
tiguing allo to the horſe ; but the Virginian
finds it more conducive to his eaſe than a fair
gallop, and this circumſtance baniſhes every
other confideration.

The people in this part of the country, bor-
dering upon James River, are extremely fond
of an entertainment which they call a bar-
bacue. It conſiſts in a large party meeting to-
gether, either under ſome trees, or in a houſe,
to partake of a ſturgeon or pig roaſted in the
open air, on a ſort of hurdle, over a flow fire;
this, however, is an, entertainment chiefly
confined to the lower ranks, and, like moſt
others of the ſame nature, it generally ends
1:1 1NtOX1Cation,

Richmond, the capital of Virginia, is ſituated
immediately below the falls of James River, on
ne north fide. The river oppoſite to the town
b about four hundred yatds wide, and is croſſed
"y means of two bridges, which are ſeparated
by an ifland that lies nearly in the middle of

the

Mi '< „ 41 = _ 2, T7 4 3 *
e WT

483 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA;

the river. The bridge, leading from the ſout
ſhore to the iſland, is built upon fifteen larg
flat bottomed boats, kept ſtationary in the rivet
by ſtrong chains and anchors. The bows d
them, which are very ſharp, are put againſt the
ſtream, and fore and aft there is a ſtrong bean,
upon which the piers of the bridge reft. Be.
tween the iſland and the town, the water being
ſhallower, the bridge is built upon piers forme
of ſquare caſements of logs filled with ſtone,
To this there is no railing, and the boards with
which it is covered are ſo looſe, that it is dans
gerous to ride a horſe acroſs it that is not .
cuſtomed to it. The bridges thrown acroſs thi
river, oppoſite the town, have repeatedly bee
carried away ; it is thought idle, therefore, to
go to the expence of a better one than whit
exiſts at preſent. The ſtrongeſt ſtone bridge
could hardly reſiſt the bodies of ice that ar
hurried down the falls by the floods on tit
breaking up of a ſevere winter.
Though the houſes in Richmond are not
more than ſeven hundred in number, yet the
extend nearly one mile and a half along the
banks of the river. The lower part of tht
town, according to the courſe of the river,
built cloſe to the water, and oppoſite to it lies

re
{et

the ſhipping; this is connected with the upp* e
town by a long ſtreet, which runs parallel to the Wt:
ol

courſe of the river, about fifty yards removed
from

S TAT E HOUSE. 189

from the banks. The ſituation of the upper
town is very pleaſing ;z it ſtands on an elevated
ſpot, and commands a fine proſpect of the falls
of the river, and of the adjacent country on the
oppolite fide. The beſt houſes ſtand here, and
alſo the capitol or ſtatehouſe. From the op-
polite fide of the river this building appears
extremely well, as its defects cannot be ob-
ſerved at that diſtance, but on a cloſer in-
ſpection it proves to be a clumſy ill ſhapen pile.
The original plan was ſent over from France
by Mr. Jefferſon, and had great merit ; but his
ingenious countrymen thought they could im-
prove it, and to do ſo placed what was in-
tended for the attic ſtory, in the plan, at the
bottom, and put the columns on the top of it.
In many other reſpects, likewiſe, the plan was
inverted. This building is finiſhed entirely with
red brick; even the columns themſelves are
formed of brick; but to make them appear like
ſtone, they have been partially whitened with
common whitewaſh. The inſide of the build-
ng is but very little better than its exterior
part, The principal room is for the houſe of
repreſentatives ; this is uſed alſo for divine
ſervice, as there is no ſuch thing as a church
in the town. The veſtibule is circular, and
very dark; it is to be ornamented with a ſta-
tue of General Waſhington, executed by an
eminent artiſt in France, which arrived while I
was

i n i L C2 . KO 3 i k "71 » . On 3 1 FATE 1 1 4 4
F Y by 1 T's " of 1 80 * RS a = _ l l \ 4 4 $ \ =
A RET. EF... : [ gi. Ac I * r cz a, L.-- FLY Es COTE.” = ae K 1 4 1 a

190 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

was in the town. Ugly and ill contrived s
this building is, a ſtranger muſt not attempt to
find fault with any part of it, for it is lookel
upon by the inhabitants as a moſt elegant fl.
bric. , >
The falls in the river, or the rapids, as the
ſhould be called, extend fix miles above the
city, in the courſe of which there is a deſcent
of about eighty feet. The river is here fil
of large rocks, and the water ruſhes over them
in ſome places with great impetuoſity. 4
canal is completed at the north fide of theſt
falls, which renders the navigation complete
from Richmond to the Blue Mountains, and
at particular times of the year, boats with light
burthens can proceed ſtill higher up. In tht
river, oppoſite the town, are no more than
ſeven feet water, but ten miles lower down
about twelve feet. Moſt of the veſſels trading
to Richmond unlade the greater part of thei
cargoes at this place into river craft, and then
proceed up to the town. Trade is carried on
here chiefly by foreigners, as the Virginians
have but little inclination for it, and are too
fond of amuſement to purſue it with much
ſucceſs.

Richmond contains about four thouſand in-
habitants, onehalfof whom are ſlaves, Amongſt
the freemen are numbers of lawyers, who, with
the officers of the ſtate government, and ſeveral

hat

GAMBLING: =: -" Wh

that live retired on their fortunes, reſide in the
upper town; the other part is inhabited prin-
cipally by the traders.

Perhaps in no place of the ſame ſize in the
world is there more gambling going forward
than in Richmond. I had ſcarcely alighted
from my horſe at the tavern, when the landlord
came to aſk what game I was moſt partial to,
as in ſuch a room there was a faro table, in
another a hazard table, in a third a billiard ta-
ble, to any one of which he was ready to con-
duct me. Not the ſmalleſt ſecrecy is em-

ployed in keeping theſe tables; they are al-

ways crowded with people, and the doors of
the apartment are only ſhut to prevent the rab-
ble from coming in. Indeed, throughout the
lower parts of the country in Virginia, and alſo
in that part of Maryland next to it, there ts
ſcarcely a petty tavern without a billiard room,
and this is always full of a ſet of idle low- lived
fellows, drinking ſpirits or playing cards, if not
engaged at the table. Cockfighting is alſo
another favourite diverſion. It is chiefly, how=
ever, the lower claſs of people that partake of
theſe amuſements at the taverns; in private
there is, perhaps, as little gambling in Virginia
as in any other part of America. The circum-
ſtance of having the taverns thus infeſted by
luch a ſet of people renders travelling ex-
tremely unpleaſant, Many times I have been

forced

Y Ju

l a; + * 8 1 0 mu
D
2 Y n | 2

*
3
5 Y — —
: .
— — ——

_— TO

2
3

8 Fe
N 8
* *
EY ©

VER LIES

x Do. oh. i”...

Ph BY. - E * — A
== == =

"þ.

7 I NR.

_—_

192 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

forced to proceed much farther in a day than
T have wiſhed, in order to avoid the ſcenes of
rioting and quarrelling that I have met with at
the taverns, which it is impoſſible to eſcape as
long as you remain in the ſame houſe where
they are carried on, for every apartment is con-
ſidered as common, and that room in which:
ſtranger fits down is ſure to be the moſt fre.
quented,

Whenever theſe people come to blows, they
fight juſt like wild beaſts, biting, kicking, and
endeavouring to tear each other's eyes out with
their nails. It is by no means uncommon to
meet with thoſe who have loſt an eye in
combat, and there are men who pride them-
ſelves upon the dexterity with which they can
ſcoop one out. This is called gouging. To
perform the horrid operation, the combatant
twiſts his forefingers in the ſide locks of his
adverſary's hair, and then applies his thumbs
to the bottom of the eye, to force it out of the
ſocket. If ever there is a battle, in which
neither of thoſe engaged loſes an eye, their
faces are however generally cut in a ſhocking
manner with the thumb nails, in the many
attempts which are made at gouging. But
what is worſe than all, theſe wretches in their
combat endeavour to their utmoſt to tear out
each other's teſticles. Four or five inſtances
came within my own obſervation, as I paſſed

through

I 193 ]

through Maryland and Virginia, of men being
confined in their beds from the injuries which
they had received of this nature in a fight. In
the Carolinas and Georgia, I have been credi-
bly aſſured, that the people are ſtill more de-
praved in this reſpect than in Virginia, and that
in ſome particular parts of theſe ſtates, every
third or fourth man appears with one eye.

LETTER 2x90

Deſcription of Virginta between Richmond and
the Mountains, Fragrance of Flowers and
Shrubs in the Woods, — Melody of the Birds. —
Of the Birds of Virginia. —Mocking Bird —

Blue Bird - Red Bird, Se. 8 Noiſes

of the Frogs. Columbia. — Magazine there.
Fire Flies in the Moods.— Green Springs. —
Wretchedneſs of the Accommodation there. —
Diqiculiy of finding the Way through the
Woods. —Serpents.— Rattle-Snake — Copper -
Snake. —Black Snake.—South-weſt, or Green
Mountains,— Soil of them. — Mountain Tor-
rents do great Damage. Salubrity of ' the.
Climate. Great Beauty of the Peaſantry.—
Many Gentlemen of Property living here.—
Vor. I. O Monticello,

CLLR I
„ 5 n Lge of >=

nn
4

3 N 13
=

r Res A * —
1 7 *

wp
=E $0.
=

T7 r

r
"wy

. ** P 3
* * 9
£ -* mt * 7 x, 2 —

N
EY
Fi

*
*

bg
*
2 >
| * *
. — — MN

— —
.
_— «

—

DANS

" mt. — "_— —
. =. ks :
. 2 , 32
** N x

2 — 4 S

* * — *
1 = ” #

* 22

o
*. * Ang N 1

*
A .

194 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:
Monticello, the Seat of Mr. Jefferſon. —Vine-

1 5 9 of * N
ic 9 N * » *
| 2 — al = LE INE
ed
W 1 4 —
1 ———
*

yards.—Obſervations on the Culture of the
Grape, and the Manufacture of Wine,

Monticello, May.
AVING ftaid at Richmond ſomewhat

longer than a week, which I found ab-
ſolutely neceſlary, if it had only been to recruit
the ſtrength of my horſes, that had been half
ſtarved in coming from Norfolk, I proceeded
in a north. weſterly direction towards the South-
weſt or Green Mountains. |
The country about Richmond 1s ſandy, but
not ſo much ſo, nor as flat as on the ſouth fide
of James River towards the ſea. It now wore
a molt pleaſing aſpect. The firſt week in May
had arrived; the trees had obtained a conſi-
derable part of their foliage, and the air in the
woods was perfumed with the fragrant ſmell
of numberleſs flowers and flowering ſhrubs,
which ſprang up on all fides. The muſic of
the birds was alſo delightful. It is thought
that in Virginia the ſinging birds are finer than
what are to be met with on any other part of
the continent, as the climate is more congenial
to them, being neither ſo intenſely hot in ſum-
mer as that of the Carolinas, nor ſo cold in
winter as that of the more northern ſtates.
The notes of the mocking bird or Virginian
nightingale are in particular moſt melodious.

This

VIRGINIAN BIRDS. 1935

This bird is of the colour and about the ſize
of a thruſh, but more ſlender; it imitates the
ſong of every other bird, but with increaſed
ſtrength and ſweetneſs. The bird whoſe ſong
it mocks generally flies away, as if conſcious of
being excelled by the other, and diſſatisfied
with its own powers. It is a remark, how-
ever, made by Cateſby, and which appears to
be a very juſt one, that the birds in America
are much inferior to thoſe in Europe in the
melody of their notes, but that they are ſupe-
rior in point of plumage.” I know of no Ame-
rican bird that has the rich mellow note of
our black-bird, the ſprightly note of the ſky-
lack, or the ſweet and plaintive one of rhe
nizhtingale.

After having liſtened to the mocking bird,
there is no novelty in hearing the ſong of any
other bird in the country; and indeed their
longs are for the moſt part but very fimple in
themſelves, though combined they are pleaſ-
ms,

The moſt remarkable for their plumage of
hoſe commonly met with are, the blue bird
and the red bird. The firſt is about the ſize
of a linnet; its back, head, and wings are of
ark yet bright blue; when flying the plumage
ppears to the greateſt advantage. The red
bird is larger than a ſky lark, though ſmaller
han a thruſh; ; it is of a vermilion colour, and

O 2 has

296 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

has a ſmall tuft on its head. A few humming
birds make their appearance in ſummer, but
their plumage is not ſo beautiful as thoſe found
more to the ſouthward.

Of the other common birds there are hut
few worth notice. Doves and quails, or pe-
tridges as they are ſometimes called, afford
good diverſion for the ſportſman. Theſe lik
birds in their habits are exactly ſimilar 9
European partridges, excepting that they alight
ſometimes upon trees; their ſizę is that of the
quail, but they are neither the ſame as the Eng.

liſh quail or the Engliſh partridge. It is e
ſame with many other birds, as jays, robins WA 1
larks, pheaſants, &c. which were called Hf
the Engliſh ſettlers after the birds of the am b
name in England, becauſe they bore ſome n.1
ſemblance to them, though in fact they n
materially different. In the lower parts of Vi
ginia, and to the ſouthward, are great numben fr
of large birds, called turkey buzzards, which ar
when mounted. aloft on the wing, look liz}W 21
eagles. In Carolina there is a law prohibit
ing the killing theſe birds, as they feed upo ti:
putrid carcaſes, and therefore contribute to xe
the air wholeſome. There is only ane big ft.
more which I ſhall mention, the Whippet the
will, or Whip-poor- will, as it is ſometime wh

called, from the plaintive noiſe that it makes

to my ear it founded wyp-0-il. It begins
| mak

COLUMBIA. 197

make this noiſe, which is heard a great way
off, about duſk, and continues it through the
greater part of the night. This bird is ſo very
wary, and ſo few inſtances have occurred of
its being ſeen, much leſs taken, that many
have imagined the noiſe does not proceed from
a bird, but from a frog, eſpecially as it is heard
molt frequently in the neighbourhood of low
grounds,

The frogs in America, it muſt here be ob-
ſerved, make a molt ſingular noife, ſome of
them abſolutely whiſthng, whilſt others croak
ſo loudly, that it is difficult at times to tell
whether the ſound proceeds from a calf or a
frog: I have more than once been deceived
by the noiſe when walking in a meadow.
Theſe laſt frogs are called bull frogs; they
moſtly keep in pairs, and are never found but
where there is good water; their bodies are
from four to. ſeven inches long, and their legs
are in proportion; they are extremely active,
and take prodigious leaps.
bit- The firſt town I reached on going towards
the mountains was Columbia, or Point of Fork,
as it is called in the neighbourhood. It is
ſituated about ſixty miles n Richmond, at
the confluence of Rivanna and Fluvanna rivers,
ich united form James River. This is a
fouriſhing little place, containing about forty
houſes, and a warehouſe for the inſpection of
O 3 tobacco.

1 . 9 '
1 p
=

gy ©
hes

3 0)

—

* < o — **
— „ 4 * =
o >
1 4 — * "F £7
.

ene

6 6 ® «
<_ *
= *

e I” a
* * 22

198 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

tobacco. On the neck of land between the
two rivers, juſt oppoſite to the town, is the
magazine of the ſtate, in which are kept twely
thouſand ſtand of arms, and about thirty tom
of powder. The low lands bordering up
the river in this neighbourhood are extreme
valuable. |

From Columbia to the Green Springs, about
twenty miles farther on, the road runs. almof
wholly through a pine foreſt, and is very lonely
Night came on before I got to the end of it
and, as very commonly happens with travellen

in this part of the world, I ſoon loſt my way,

A light, however, ſeen through the trees
ſeemed to indicate that a houſe was not far
off; my ſervant eagerly rode up to it, but the
poor fellow's conſternation was great indeed
when he obſerved it moving from him, pre-
ſently coming back, and then with ſwiftnel
departing again into the woods. I was at
loſs for a time myſelf to account for the ap-
pearance, but after proceeding a little farther,
I obſerved the ſame ſort of light in many othe:
places, and diſmounting from my horſe to ex-
amine a buſh where one of theſe ſparks ap-
peared to have fallen, I found it proceeded
from the fire fly. As the ſummer came on,
theſe flies appeared every night : after a light
ſhower in the afternoon, I have ſeen the woods
ſparkling with them in every quarter. The

9 $ light

GREEN SPRINGS. 19g

light is emitted from the tail, and the animal
has the power of emitting it or not at plea-

ſure. |
After wandering - about till it was near
eleven o'clock, a plantation at laft appeared,
and having got freſh information reſpecting
the road from the negroes in the quarter, who
generally fit up half the night, and over a fire
in all ſeaſons, I again ſet out for the Green
Springs. With ſome ditficulty I at laſt found
the way, and arrived there about midnight.
The hour was ſo unſeaſonable, that the people
at the tavern were very unwilling: to open their
doors; and it was not till I had related the hiſ-
tory of my adventures from the laſt ſtage two
or three times that they could be prevailed
upon to let me in. At laſt a tall fellow in his
ſhirt came grumbling to the door, and told me
might come in if I would. I had now a par-
ley for another quarter of an hour to perſuade
him to give me ſome corn for my horſes, which
he was very unwilling to do; but at laſt he
complied, though much againſt his inclina-
tion, and unlocked the ſtable door. [Returning
to tho houſe, I was ſhewn into a room about
ten feet ſquare, in which were two filthy beds
ſwarming with bugs; the ceiling had moul-
dered away, and the walls admitted light in
various places; it was a happy circumſtance,
however, that theſe apertures were in the wall,
O 4 for-

— he bn,

2 * e W hs. 44 7 — F \
0 L. TIS. Fw _— 2 C AT . SW. [5 Ss 0 - Cy Ld * FL. - L1 = \þ * =
% a 4 N * * h - . > : 2 —
* LE == SR. - = 22= — - 1K - - 4 _ \
- ö 8 8 — £ = — — 4 We * 2 way

* \ — *
" —

3 -
— ew 4x

—

200 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

for the window of the apartment was infuf. *
ficient in itſelf to admit either light or freſh
air. Here I would fain have got ſomething to
eat, if poſſible, but not even ſo much as a piece
of bread was to be had; indeed, in this part
of the country they ſeldom think of keeping
bread ready made, but juſt prepare ſufficient
for the meal about half an hour before it is

wanted, and then ſerve it hot. Unable there-

fore to procure any food, and fatigued with a
long journey during a parching day, I threw
myſelf down on one of the beds in my clothes,

-and enjoyed a profound repoſe, notwithſtand-

ing the repeated onſets of the bugs and other
vermin with which I was moleſted.

Beſides the tavern and the quarters of the
ſlaves, there is but one more building at this
place. This is a large farm houſe, where peo-
ple that reſort to the ſprings are accommodated
with lodgings, about as good as thoſe at the
tavern. Theſe habitations ſtand in the center
of a cleared ſpot of land of about fifty acres,

ſurrounded entirely with wood. The ſprings

are juſt on the margin of the wood, at the
bottom of a flope, which begins at the houſes,
and are covered with a few boards, merely to
keep the leaves from falling in. The watery
are chalybeate, and are drunk chiefly by per-
ſons from the low country, whoſe conſtitu-

tions

Sire. 201

- tions have been relaxed by the heats of ſum-

mer.

Having breakfaſted in the morning at this
miſerable little place, I proceeded on my jour-
ney up the South-weſt Mountain. In the
courſe of this day's ride I obſerved a great
number of ſnakes, which were now beginning
to come forth from their holes. I killed a
black one, that I found ſleeping, ſtrætched acroſs

the road; it was five feet in length. The black

ſnake is more commonly met with than any
other in this part of America, and is uſually
from four to fix. feet in length. In proportion
to the length it is extremely {lender ; the back
is perfectly black, the belly lead colour; in-
clining to white towards the throat. The
bite of this ſnake is not poiſonous, and the
people in that country are not generally inelin-
ed to kill it, from its great utility in deſtroying
rats and mice. It is wonderfully fond of milk,
and is frequently found in the dairies, which
in Virginia are for the moſt part in low ſitua-
tions, like cellars, as the milk could not other-
wiſe be kept ſweet for two hours together in
ſummer time. The black ſnake, at the time
of copulation, immediately purſues any perſon
who comes in fight, and with ſuch” ſwiftneſs,
that the beſt runner cannot eſcape from him
upon even ground. Many other ſorts of harm-
leſs ſnakes are found here, ſome of which are

; | beautifully

\ 2
.
5
o

Lan = *

6 5 = as y
— 4A
=
as

1
T

7 am

D cc dts... ic.
* 3 1 4 1 Ki > 7 5 3 "8
' *
bo ” * IS 5 - 2 iS 2 B . 1 4
4 | 4 4 |

.
5 1 *
*
®
9
"T&F: —_ .

go ws th 1
s * 8

GD WW EN

\ Ws - —
— 5

_
_
”
p_

202 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

beautifully variegated, as the garter, the rib-
bon, the blueiſh green ſnake, &c. &c. Of
the venomous kind, the moſt common are the
rattle ſnake, and the copper or moccaflin ſnake.
The former is found chiefly on the mountains;
but although frequently met with, it is very
rarely that people are bitten by it; ſcarcely a
ſummer, however, paſſes over without ſeveral
being bit by the copper ſnake. The poiſon of
the latter is not ſo ſubtile as that of the rattle
ſnake, but it is very injurious, and it not at-
| tended to in time, death will certainly enſue.
The rattle ſnake is very dull, and never at-
tacks a perſon that docs not moleſt him; but,
at the ſame time, he will not turn out of the
way to avoid any one; before he bites, he al-
ways gives notice by ſhaking his rattles, ſo that
a perſon that hears them can readily get out of
his way. The copper ſnake, on the contrary,
1s more active and treacherous, and, it 1s faid,
will abſolutely put himſelf in the way of a per-
ſon to bite him. Snakes are neither ſo nu-
merous nor ſo venomous in the northern as in
the ſouthern ſtates. Horſes, cows, dogs, and
fowl ſeem to have an innate ſenſe of the dan-
ger they are expoſed to from theſe poiſonous
reptiles, and will ſhew evident ſymptoms of
fear on approaching near them, although they
are dead; but what is remarkable, hogs, ſo far

from being afraid of them, purſue and devour
them

NM OUNTAINS. 203

them with the greateſt avidity, totally regard-
leſs of their bites. It is ſuppoſed that the great
quantity of fat, with which they are furniſhed,
prevents the poiſon from operating on their
bodies as on thoſe of other animals. Hog's
lard, it might therefore reaſonably be con-
jectured, would be a good remedy for the bite
of a ſnake ; however, I never heard of its being
tried; the people generally apply herbs to the
wound, the ſpecific qualities of which are well
known. It is a remarkable inſtance of the
bounty of providence, that in all thoſe parts of
the country where theſe venomous reptiles
abound, thoſe herbs which are the moſt certain
antidote to the poiſon are found in the greateſt

plenty.

The South-weſt Mountains run nearly pa-

rallel to the Blue Ridge, and are the firſt

which you come to on going up the country
from the ſea- coaſt in Virginia. Theſe moun-
tains are not lofty, and ought indeed rather
to be called hills than mountains; they are

not ſeen till you come within a very fe miles

of them, and the aſcent is ſo gradual, that you
get upon their top almoſt without perceiving
It.

The ſoil here changes to a deep argilaceous
earth, particularly well ſuited to the eul-
ture of ſmall grain and clover, and produces
abundant crops. As this earth, however, does
not

=_ Ka —
r e

4 — 4

8
q
.
g
fy
9
0
11
4

r £4. 4”

204 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

not abſorb the water very quickly, the farmer
is expoſed to great loſſes from heavy falls of
rain; the ſeed is liable to be waſhed out of
the ground, ſo that ſometimes it is found ne-
ceſſary to ſow a field two or three different
times before it becomes green; and if great
care be not taken to guard ſuch fields as lie
on a declivity by proper trenches, the crops
are ſometimes entirely deſtroyed, even after
they arrive at maturity ; indeed, very often,
notwithſtanding the utmoſt precautions, the
water departs from its uſual channel, and
ſweeps away all before it. After heavy tor-
rents of rain I have frequently ſeen all the
negroes in a farm diſpatched with hoes and
ſpades to different fields, to be ready to turn
the courſe of the water, in caſe it ſhould take
an improper direction. On the fides of the
mountain, where the ground has been worn
out with the culture of tobacco, and left
waſte, and the water has been ſuffered to run
in the ſame channel for a length of time, it is
ſurpriſing to ſee the depth of the ravines or
gullies, as they are called, which it has formed.
They are juſt like ſo many precipices, and are
inſurmountable barriers to the paſſage from one
fide of the mountain to the other.
Notwithſtanding ſuch diſadvantages, how-
ever, the country in the neighbourhood of

theſe mountains is far more populous than
that

CLIMAT E. 405

that which lies towards Richmond ; and there
are many perſons that even conſider it to be
the garden of the United States. All the
productions of the lower part of Virginia may
be had here, at the ſame time that the heat
is never found to be ſo oppreſſive; for in the
hotteſt months in the year there is a freſhneſs
and elaſticity in the air unknown in the low
country. The extremes of heat and cold
are found to be go* and 60* above cipher, but
it is not often that the thermometer riſes
above 84*, and the winters are ſo mild in ge-
neral, that it is a very rare circumſtance for
the ſnow to lie for three days together upon
the ground.

The ſalubrity of the climate is equal alſo
to that of any part of the United States;
and the inhabitants have in conſequence a
healthy ruddy appearance. The female part
of the peaſantry in particular is totally diffe-
rent from that in the low country. Inſtead of
the pale, ſickly, debilitated beings, whom you
meet with there, you find amongſt theſe moun-
tains many a one that would be a fit ſubject
to be painted for a Lavinia. It is really de-
lightful to behold the groups of females, aſ-
ſembled here, at times, to gather the cherries
and other fruits which grow in the greateit
abundance in the neighbourhood of almoſt
every habitation. Their ſhapes and complex-

ions

206 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

ions are charming; and the careleſſneſs of
their dreſſes, which confiſt of little more, in
common, than a fimple bodice and petticoat,

makes them appear even ſtill more engaging,

The common people in this neighbourhood
appeared to me to be of a more frank and
open diſpoſition, more inclined to hoſpita-
lity, and to live -more contentedly on what
they poſſeſſed, than the people of the ſame
claſs in any other part of the United States
I paſſed through. From being able, however,
to procure the neceſſaries of life upon very
eaſy terms, they are rather of an indolent ha-
bit, and inclined to diſſipation. Intoxication
is very prevalent, and it is ſcarcely poſſible to
meet with a man who does not begin the day
with taking one, two, or more drams as ſoon
as he riſes. Brandy is the liquor which they
principally uſe, and having the greateſt abun-
dance of peaches, they make it at a very
trifling expence. There is hardly a houſe to
be found with two rooms in it, but where the
inhabitants have a ſtill. The females do not
fall into the habit of intoxication like the men,
but in other reſpects they are equally diſ-
poſed to pleaſure, and their morals are in like
manner relaxed.

Along theſe mountains live ſeveral gentle-
men of large landed property, who farm their
own eſtates, as in the lower parts of Virginia;

among

MONTICELLO. 207

among
whoſe ſeat I date this letter. His houſe is

about three miles diſtant from Charlotteſville
and two from Milton, which is on the head
waters of Rivanna River. It is moſt ſingularly
ſituated, being built upon the top of a ſmall
mountain, the apex of which has been cut off,
{9 as to leave an area of about an acre and half.
At preſent it is in an unfiniſhed ſtate; but if
carried onaccording to the plan laiddown, it will
be one of the moſt elegant private habitations
in the United States. A large apartment is
laid out for a library and a meant to
extend the entire breadth of the houſe, the
windows of which are to open into an exten-

live green houſe and aviary. In the center is

another very ſpacious apartment, of an octa-
gon form, reaching from the front'to the rear
of the houſe, the large folding glaſs doors of
which, at each end, open under a portico. An
apartment like this, extending from front to
back, is very common 1n a Virginian houſe;
it is called the ſaloon, and during ſummer is the
one generally preferred by the family, on ac-
count of its being more airy and ſpacious than
any other. The houſe commands a magnifi-
cent proſpe& on one fide of the blue ridge of
mountains for nearly forty miles, and on the

* Vice-preſident of the United States.
oppolite

the number is Mr. Jefferſon *, from

——

neighbourhood to bring the manufacture of

It will require ſome time, therefore, and dit-

206 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH -AMERICA

oppoſite one, of the low country, in appears
ance like an extended heath covered with
trees, the tops alone of which are viſible. The
miſts and vapours ariſing from the low grounds
give a continual variety to the ſcene. The
mountain whereon the houſe ſtands is thickly
wooded on one fide, and walks are carried
round it, with difterent degrees of obliquity,
running into each other. On the ſouth fide
is the garden and a large - 43 that pro-
duces abundance of fine fruit.

Several attempts have been made in this

wine to perfection; none of them however
have ſucceeded to the wiſh of the parties. A
ſet of gentlemen once went to the expence even
of getting ſix Italians over for the purpoſe, but
the vines which the Italians found growing
here were different, as well as the ſoil, from
what they had been in the habit of cultivating,
and they were not much more ſucceſsful in the
buſineſs than the people of the country. We
mult not, however, from hence conclude that
good wine can never be manufactured upon
theſe mountains. It is well known that the
vines, and the mode of cultivating them, vary
as much in different parts of Europe as the ſoil
in one country differs from that in another.

ferent experiments, to aſcertain the particular

kind

V'IN E S. 209
kind of vine, and the mode of cultivating it,
beſt adapted to the ſoil of theſe mountains.
This, however, having been once aſcertained,
there is every reaſon to ſuppoſe that the grape
may be cultivated to the greateſt perfection, as
the climate is as favourable for the purpoſe as
that of any country in Europe. By experi-
ments alſo it is by no means improbable, that
they will in proceſs of time learn the beit
method of converting the juice of the fruit into
wine.

—— — ͤ . — —— — 0

LETTER. XS

Of the Country between the South-10eft and Blue
Mountains. — Copper and Fron Mines, —
Lynchburgh.— New London.— Armoury here.
—Deſcription of the Road over the Blue
Mcuntams,—Peaks of Otter, higheſt of the
Mountains. Suppoſed Height, — Much over-
rated. German Settlers numerous beyond the
Blue Mountains, — Singular Contraft between
the Country and the Inhabitants. on each Sie
of the Mountains, —Of the Weeutl.—Of the
Heſjian' Fly.—Bottetourt County. — Its Soil.
— Salubrity of the Climate. — Medicinal
Springs here. Much frequented.

Fincaſtle, May.

HE country between the South- weſt
Mountains and the Blue Ridge is very
fertile, and it is much more thickly inhabited
Vor. I, P than

— — — ———__—_
ut 4 6 =

210 * TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

than the lower parts of Virginia. The eli.
mate is good, and the people have a healthy
and robuſt appearance. Several valuable mines
of iron and copper have been diſcovered here,
for the working of ſome of which works have
been eſtabliſhed; but till the country becomes
more populous it cannot be expected that they

will be carried on with much ſpirit.
Having croſſed the South-weſt Mountains,
I paſſed along through this county to Lynch-
burgh, a town ſituated on the ſouth fide of
Fluvanna River, one hundred and fifty miles
above Richmond. This town contains about
one hundred houſes, and a warehouſe for the
inſpection of tobacco, where about two thou-
fand hogſheads are annually inſpected. . It
has heen built entirely within the laſt fifteen
years, and is rapidly increaſing, from its ad-
vantageous ſituation for carrying on trade with
the adjacent country. The boats, in which the
. produce is conveyed down the river, are from
1 forty-eight to fifty- four feet long, but very
1 narrow in proportion to their breadth. Three
. men are ſufficient to navigate one of theſe boats,
and they can go to Richmond and back again
in ten days. They fall down with the ſtream,
but work their way back again with ' poles.
The cargo carried'in theſe boats is always pro-
portionate to the depth'of water in the river, |

which varics very much, When I paſſed it
to

BLUE MOUNTAINS; 271

to Lynchburgh, there was no difficulty in rid -
ing acroſs, yet when I got upon the oppoſite
banks I obſerved great quantities of weeds
hanging upon the trees, conſiderably above
my head though on horſeback, evidently left
there by a flood. This flood happened in the
preceding 'September, when the waters roſe
fifteen feet above their uſual level.

A few miles from Lynchburgh, towards the
Blue Mountains, 1s a ſmall town called New
London, in. which there is a magazine, and
alſo an armoury, erected duting the war,
About fifteen men were here employed, as I
paſſed through, repairing old arms and fur-
biſhing up others; and indeed, from the
ſlovenly manner in which they keep their
arms, I ſhould imagine that the ſame number
muſt be conſtantly employed all the year
round. At one end of the room lay the mut-
quets, to the amount. of about five thouſand,
all together in a large heap, and at the oppo-

fite end lay a pile of leathern accoutrements,

abſolutely rotting for want of common atten-
tion. All the armouries throughout the Unit-
ed States are kept much in the ſame ſtyle.
Between this place and the Blue Mountains
the country is rough and hilly, and but very
thinly inhabited. The few inhabitants, how-

ever, met with here are, uncommonly robuſt

P and

21a TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

and tall; it is rare to ſee a man amongſt
them who is not ſix feet high. Theſe people
entertain a high opinion of their own ſuperio-
rity in point of bodily ſtrength over the inha-
bitants of the low country. A ſimilar race of
men.is found all along the Blue Mountains,

The Blue Ridge is thickly covered with
large trees to the very ſummit ; ſome of the
mountains are rugged and extremely ſtony,
others are not ſo, and on theſe laſt the ſoil-is
found to be rich and fertile. It is only in par-
ticular places that this ridge of mountains can
be croſſed, and at ſome of the gaps the aſcent
is ſteep and difficult ; but at the place where
I croſſed it, which was near the Peak of Otter,
on the ſouth fide, inſtead of one great moun-
tain to paſs over, as might be imagined from
an inſpection of the map, there is a ſucceſſion
of ſmall hills, riſing imperceptibly one above
the other, ſo that you get upon the top of the
ridge before you are aware of it.

The Peaks of Otter are the higheſt moun-
tains in the Blue Ridge, and, meaſured from
their baſes, are ſuppoſed to be more lofty than
any others in North America. According to
Mr, Jefferſon, whoſe authority has been
quoted nearly by every perſon that has written

on the ſubject ſince the publication of his

Notes on Virginia, the principal peak is about
| four

- PEAKS OF OTTER 213

four thouſand feet in perpendicular height ;

but it muſt be obſerved, that Mr. Jefferſon

does not ſay that he meaſured the height
himſelf; on the contrary, he acknowledges

that the height of the mountains in America
has never yet been aſcertained with any de-
gree of exactneſs; it is only from certain data,
from which he fays a tolerable ' conjecture
may be formed, that he ſuppoſes this to be
the height of the loftieſt peak. Poſitively to
aſſert that this peak is not ſo high, without
having meaſured it in any manner, would be
abſurd; as I did not meaſure it, I do not
therefore pretend to contradict Mr. Jefferſon ;
I have only to ſay, that the moſt elevated of
the peaks of Otter appeared to me but a very
inſignificant mountain in compariſon with
Snowden, in Wales; and every perſon that I
converſed with that had ſeen both, and I con-
verſed with many, made the ſame remark.
Now the higheſt peak of Snowden is found
by triangular admeaſurement to be no more
than three thouſand five hundred and ſixty-
eight feet high, reckoning from the quay at
Carnarvon. None of the other mountains in
the Blue Ridge are ſuppoſed, from the ſame
data, to be more than two thoutand feet in

perpendicular height.
Beyond the Blue Ridge, after croſſing by
this route near the Peaks of Otter, E met with
2 but

_ _ - *
18 4 ＋ > "4
4 4 & q — Aa, jd = j 4 = = = [4
PU 1 1 4 þ .

— — —
— — —

—
—
—

— —

— ——— —— — — -
—— — — — — —— — -

2 2 a” 4 993

*
„ a. ior. e

— —

214 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

but very few ſettlements till L drew near to
Fincaſtle, in Bottetourt County. This town
ſtands about twenty miles diſtant from the
mountain, and about fifteen ſouth of Fluvanna

River. It was only begun about the year

1790, yet it already contains ſixty houſes, and
is molt rapidly increaſing. | The improvement
of the adjacent country has likewiſe been very
rapid, and land now bears nearly the fame
price that it does in the neighbourhood of
York and Lancaſter, in Pennſylvania, The
inhabitants conſiſt principaily of Germans,
who have extended their ſettlements from
Pennfylvania along the whole of that rich
track of land which runs through the upper
part of Maryland, and from thence behind
the Blue Mountains to the moſt ſouthern parts
of Virginia, Theſe people, as I before men-
tioned, keep very much together, and- are
never to be found but where the land is re-
markably good. It is fingular, that although
they form three fourths of the inhabitants on
the weſtern ſide of the Blue Ridge, yet not
one of them is to be met with on the eaſtern
ſide, notwithſtanding that land is to be pur-
chaſed in the neighbourhood of the South-
welt Monataing.for one fourth of what is paid

for it in Bottetourt County. They have

many times, I am told, croſſed the Blue Ridge
to examine the land, but the. red ſoil which
| they

i T> Me 7

COT T ON. 213

they found there was different from what
they had been accuſtomed to, and the injury

it was expoſed to from the mountain torrents

always appeared to them an inſuperable ob-
jection to ſettling in that part of the country.
The difference indeed between 'the country
on the eaſtern and on the weſtern fide of the
Blue Ridge, in Bottetourt County, is aſtoniſni-

ing, when 1t is conſidered that both are under

the ſame latitude, and that this difference is
perceptible within the ſhort diſtance of thirty
miles. |
On the eaſtern fide of the ridge cotton
grows extremely well; and in winter the
fnow ſcarcely ever remains more than a day
or two upon the ground. On the other fide
cotton never comes to perfection, the winters
are ſevere, and the fields covered with ſhow
for weeks together. In every farm yard you
lee ſleighs or fledges, carriages uſed to run
upon the ſhow. Wherever theſe carriages
are met with, it may be taken. for granted
that the winter laſts in that part of the coun-
try for a conſiderable length of time, for the
people would never go to the expence of
building them, without' being tolerably certain
that they would be uſeful. On the eaſtern
fide of the Blue Ridge, in Virginia, not one

of theſe carriages is to be met with.
It has already been mentioned, that the
P 4 pre-

216 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

predominant ſoil to the eaſtward: of the Blue
Ridge 1s a red earth, and that it is always a
matter of ſome difficulty to lay down a piece
of land in graſs, on account of the rains,
which are apt to waſh away the ſeeds, toge-
ther with the mould on the ſurface. In
Bottetourt County, on the contrary, the foil
conſiſts chiefly of a rich brown mould, and
throws up white clover ſpontaneouſly. To
have a rich meadow, it is only neceſſary to
leave a piece of ground to the hand of nature
for one year. Again, on the eaſtern ſide of
the Blue Mountains, ſcarcely any limeſtone is
to be met with; on the oppoſite one, a bed
of it runs entirely through the country, fo
that by ſome it is emphatically called the
limeſtone county. In ſinking wells, they have
always to dig fifteen or twenty feet through
a folid rock to get at the water.

Another circumſtance may alſo be men- |
tioned, as making a material difference be-
y tween the country on one fide of the Blue
1 Ridge and that on the other, namely, that be-
72 hind the mountains the weevil is unknown.
The weevil is a ſmall inſect of the moth
kind, which depoſits its eggs in the cavity of

. the grain, and particularly in that of wheat;
Y and if the crops are ſtacked or laid up in the G
3H barn in ſheaves, theſe eggs are there hatched, th
: and the grain is in conſequence totally de- :

ſtroyed.

ſtroyed. To guard againſt this in the lower

parts of Virginia, and the other ſtates where

the wee vil is common, they always threſh out
the grain as ſoon as the crops are brought in,
and leave it in the chaff, which creates a de-
gree of heat ſufficient to deſtroy the inſeR, at
the ſame time that it does not injure the
wheat. This inſet has been known in
America but a very few years; according to
the general opinion, it originated on the eaſtern
ſhore of Maryland, where a perſon, in expec-
tation of a great riſe in the price of wheat,
kept over all his crops for the ſpace of fix

years, when they were found full of theſe

inſects; from thence they have ſpread gra-
dually over different parts of the country.
For a conſiderable time the Patowmac River
formed a barrier to their progreſs, and while
the crops were entirely deſtroyed in Mary-
land, they remained ſecure in Virginia; but
theſe inſets at laſt found their way acroſs the
river, The Blue Mountains at preſent ſerve
as a barrier, and ſecure the country to the
weſtward from their depredations .

Botte-

There is another inſect, which in a ſimilar manner made
ts appearance, and afterwards ſpread through a great part of
the country, very injurious alſo to the crops. It is called
the Heſſian fly, from having been brought over, as is ſuppoſed,
in ſome forage belonging to the Heſſian troops, during the war.
This inſeQ lodges itſelf in different parts of the ſtalk, while

green,

INS er. 217

„

—

218 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

Bottetourt County 1s entirely ſurrounded by
mountains; it is alſo croſſed by various ridges
of mountains in different directions, a circum-
ſtance which renders the climate particuarly
agreeable. It appears to me, that there is no
part of America where the climate would be
more congenial to the conſtitution of a native
of Great Britain or Ireland. The froſt in
winter is more regular, but not ſeverer than
commonly takes place in thoſe iſlands. In
ſummer the heat is, perhaps, ſomewhat
greater; but there is not a night in the year
that a blanket is not found very comfortable,
Before ten o'clock in the morning the heat is
greateſt; at that hour a breeze generally ſprings
up from the mountains, and renders the air
agreeable the whole day. Fever and ague are
diſorders unknown here, and the air is fo ſalu-

green, and makes ſuch rapid devaſtations, that a crap which
appears in the beſt poſſible ſtate will, perhaps,be totally de-
ſtroyed in the courſe of two or three days. In Maryland, they
ſay, that if the land is very highly manured, the Heſhan fly
never attacks the grain; they alſo ſay, that crops raiſed upon
land that has been worked for a long time are much leſs ex-
poſed to injury from theſe inſects than the crops raiſed upon
new land. If this is really the caſe, the appearance of the
Heſſian fly ſhould be conſidered as a circumſtance' rather bene-
ficial than otherwiſe to the country, as it will induce the in-
habitants to relinquiſh that ruinous practice of working the
ſame piece of ground year after year till it is entirely won
out, and then leaving it waſte, inſtead of taking ſome pains to
improve it by manure. This fly is not known at preſent
ſouth of the Patowmac River, nor behind the Blue Ridge.

brious

MEDICINAL SPRINGS! 219

brious, that perſons who come hither afflicted
with it from the low country, towards the fea,
get rid of it in · a very ſhort time.

In the weſtern part of the county are ſeveral
medicinal ſprings, whereto numbers of people
reſort towards the latter end of ſummer, as
much for the ſake of eſcaping the heat in the
low country, as for drinking the waters.
Thoſe moſt frequented are called the Sweet
Springs, and are fituated at the foot of the
Alleghany Mountains. During the laſt ſeaſon
upwards of two hundred perſons reſorted to
them with ſervants and horſes, The accom-
modations at the ſprings are moſt wretched at
preſent ; but a ſet of gentlemen from South
Carolina have, T underſtand, fince I was there,
purchaſed the place, and are going to erect
ſeveral commodious dwellings in the neigh-
bourhood, for the reception of company. Be-
ſides theſe ſprings there are others in Jackſon's
Mountains, a ridge which runs between the
Blue Mountains and the Alleghany. One of
the ſprings here is warm, and another. quite
hot; a few paces from the latter a' ſpring of
common water iſſues from the earth, but
which, from the contraſt, is generally thought
to be as remarkable for its coldneſs as the water.
of the adjoining one is for its heat : there is
alſo a ſulphur ſpring near theſe ; leaves of trees
falling into it become thickly incruſted with

ſulphur

,
0 1 2

— —

. p « * 2 *
* 718 c y _— , *
— — > aq <
— — —— * 4
— — - — — — —

4 [1 7 ct £ ho Ts Is — __ w_ TI& ESTI” 2 Y o =
LIL EE.
x as E378
*

8 " 8 5
Kc 4
- — — — —

— — — — Wo

220 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMENCA:

ful phur in a very ſhort time, aud filver is turned

black almoſt immediately. At a future period
the medicinal qualities of all theſe ſprings will
probably be accurately aſcertained ; at preſent
they are but very little known. As for the
relief obtained by thoſe perſons that frequent
the Sweet Springs in particular, it is ſtrongly

conjectured that they are more indebted for

it to the change of the climate than to the
rare qualities of the water.

LETTER XVIL

Deſcription of the celebrated Rock Bridge, and
of an immenſe Cavern. — Deſcription of the
Shenandoa Valley, —Inhabitanis moſily Ger-

' mans.—Soil and Climate. —Obſervations on
American Landſcapes. — Mode of cutting. down
Trees, — High Road to Kentucky, behind Blue
Mountains. — Much frequented. — Uncauth,
inguifitive People — Lexington. — Staunton.—
Military Titles very common in America.—

Cauſes thereof, —Wincheſter,

Winchefter, May.

AFFTE R remaining a conſiderable time in
Bottetourt County, I again croſſed Flu-

vanna River into the county of Rockbridge,

ſo called from the remarkable natural A

— —

—

e WIN * . 9 o FRY
n

APRN:
THT al
„nend 38 1 hats

* *

et _

nnn — - +> A.

— ;;

*
'
n
| *
| CY
| »
[]
| |
$ |
i
| -
. |
* |
7 | |
(] J N 5 | | |
l b 4
:
| | l _ | = 0 * |
7 * fo | | | | |
7 [ _ p Ss 4 |
1 i - A * 2 8 3 9 1 We | þ | | |
P p _ WU Þ Y =þ ;4 = @ =» 0 $ g = _ os a | |
= l h . 9 * |
5 5 * * = 5 a = \ wa \ I N
| =0\ U l RS » , - 4
0 | of E 2 4 j * * r WT = l | | 8 |
. , 5 TREES SI IIS. X N : | |
" * o . > [ | :
0 \ |
= *
* 4 E 4 o - 1 — 4 * ,
- * 4 N iÞ . " 4 o 3 . |
I A 6 [1 N Y C £ * | | A
© J 2 FR : — = & = 8 | ;

5 | g

1 43 U * rr * . Wang |

=_ I
| & g 4 0

rr
— = a = \
| -

R
14 = *
Y 4
4 T6 ſ m by u LS _
\ | > l 3 -
8 \ =
- .
h$ a 1 b
F = * 8 7 £ | |
\ OT” |
of A 1 —_ \ ;
3 :
"7 |
# {|
Sy I |

ROCK BRIDGE. 221

rock that is in it. This bridge ſtands about
n miles from Fluvanna River, and nearly the
ne diſtance from the Blue Ridge. It ex-
nds acroſs a deep cleft in a mountain, which
Wy ſome. great convulſion of nature, has been
lit aſunder from top to bottom, and it ſeems
!have been left there purpoſely to afford a
ſſage from one ſide of the chaſm to the
her. The cleft or chaſm is about two miles
Wng, and is in ſome places upwards of three
undred feet deep; the depth varies accord -
g to the height of the mountain, being deepeſt
Where the mountain is moſt lofty. The
Wreadth of the chaſm alſo. varies in different
laces; but in every part it is uniformly wider
top than towards the bottom. That the
vo ſides of the chaſm were once united ap-
ars very evident, not only from projecting
cks on the one fide correſponding with
table cavities on the other, but alſo from
Wc different ſtrata of earth, ſand, clay, &c.
ing exactly ſimilar from top to bottom on
rh ſides; but by what great agent they were
Wparated, whether by fire or by water, re-
ins hidden amongſt thoſe arcana of nature
ich we vainly endeavour. to develope. |
The arch conſiſts of a ſolid maſs of ſtone,
of ſeveral ſtones cemented ſo ſtrongly to-
. that they appear but as one. This
| 2141.23 *

- £22 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

maſs, it is to be ſuppoſed, at the time that the
hill was rent aſunder, was drawn acroſs the
fiſſure from adhering cloſely to one fide, and
being looſened from its bed of earth at the
oppoſite one. It ſeems as probable, I think,
that the maſs of ſtone forming the arch was
thus forcibly plucked from one fide, and drawn
acroſs the fiflure, as that the hill ſhould have
remained diſunited at this one ſpot from top to
bottom, and that a paſſage ſhould afterwards
have been forced through it by water. The
road leading. to the bridge runs through 4
thick wood, and up a hill, having aſcended
which, nearly to the' top, you pauſe for a mo-
ment at finding a ſudden diſcontinuance af
the trees at one fide; but the amazement
which fills the mind is great indeed, when, on
going a few paces towards the part which ap-
pears thus open, you find yourſelf on the
brink of a tremendous precipice. You in-
voluntarily draw back, ſtare around, then
again come forward to ſatisfy yourſelf that
what you have ſeen is real, and not the illu-
fions of fancy. You now perceive, that you
are upon the top of the bridge, to the very
edge of which, on one fide, you may approach
with ſafety, and look down into the abyls,
being protected from falling by a parapet of
fixed rocks. The walls, as it were, of the
bridge at this fide are ſo perpendicular, that

0h a perſon

F — 4K bud. a— Ml... OR” th.

ROCK BRIDGE. 223

2 perſon leaning over the parapet of rock
might let fall a plummet from the hand to
the very bottom of the chaſm. On the op-
poſite fide this is not che caſe, nor is there any
parapet ; but from the edge of the road, which
runs over the bridge, is a gradual ſlope to the
brink of the chaſm, upon which it is ſome-
what dangerous to venture. This flope is
thickly covered with large trees, principally
cedars and pines. The oppoſite fide was alſo
well furniſhed with trees formerly, but all
thoſe that grew near the edge of the bridge
have been cut down by different people, for
the ſake of ſeeing them tumble to the bottom.
Before the trees were deſtroyed in this manner,
you might have paſſed over the bridge with-

out having had any idea of being upon it; for

the breadth of it is no leſs than eighty feet.
The road runs nearly in the middle, and 1s
frequented daily by waggons.

At the diſtance of a few yards from the
bridge, a narrow path appears, winding along
the ſides of the fiſſure, amidſt immenſe rocks
and trees, down to the bottom of the bridge.
Here the ſtupendous arch appears in all its
glory, and ſeems to touch the very ſkies. To
behold it without rapture, indeed, is impoſ-
lible; and the more critically it is examined,
the more beautiful and the more ſurpriſing
does it appear. The height of the bridge to

the

W 4. ones weren 5 | Ab
U >) 08 1 S Ul . v 5 = =_— SF Ld = C—_ dl _ * N 0 7 = i *
— 9 l 1 5 CEE a 1 =_ = 1 W „ 3 3 * r 7% Cl .

1 * 1 * — N oC \ ö — 1 * p 4 x - "af * — | a A Z \ * 9 F _ ANF hy, * e * . = he's 1 * 5

n
“V)

Fenn
1 8
.

*
Fo

CCC TACT. A

3 Tz 0 =
Fs "__ y = ®
11 = » ©. r
. 8 =; 12
1 8 i >.

:
Cl bY ©
N

EDS aro at noe

= I
RETRY .
0-3 *
2 * N SO x
:> Sz a

*:zs TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

the top of the parapet is two hundred and
thirteen feet by admeaſurement with a line,
the thickneſs of the arch forty feet, the ſpan
of the arch at top ninety feet, and the diſtance
between the abutments ar bottom fiſty feet,
The abutments conſiſt of a ſolid maſs of lime.
ſtone on either ſide, and, together with the
arch, ſeem as if they had been chiſeled out
by the hand of art. A ſmall ſtream, called
Cedar Creek, running at the bottom. of: the
fiſſure, over bed of rocks, adds much to the
beauty of the ſcene.

The fiſſure takes a very fudden turn juſt
above the bridge, according to the courſe of
the ſtream, ſo that when you ſtand below, and
look under the arch, the view 1s intercepted
at the diſtance of about fifty yards from the
bridge. Mr. Jefferſon's ſtatement, in his Notes,
that the fiſſure continues ſtrait, terminating
with a pleaſing view of the North Mountains,

is quite erroneous. The ſides of the chaſm
are thickly covered in every part with trees,

excepting where the huge rocks of limeſtone
appear.

Beſides this view from below, the bridge 1s
ſeen to very great advantage from a pinnacle
of rocks, about fifty feet below the top of the
fiſſure ; for here not only the arch is ſeen in
all its beauty, but the ſpectator is impreſſed in

the moſt forcible manner with ideas of its
grandeur

MADDISON'S CAVE. 229

grandeur, from being enabled at the ſame

time to look down into the profound gulph
over which it paſſes.

About fifty miles to the northward of the
Rock Bridge, and alſo behind the Blue Moun-
tains, there is another very remarkable natural
curiolity; this is a large cavern, known in
the neighbourhood by the name of Maddiſon's
Cave. It is in the heart of a mountain,
about two hundred feet high, and which is
ſo ſteep on one fide, that a perſon ſtanding
on the top of it, might eaſily throw a peb-
ble into the river, which flaws round the baſe;
the oppoſite fide of it is, however, very eaſy
of atcent, and on this tide the path lead-
ing to the cavern runs, excepting for the laſt

twenty yards, when it ſuddenly turns along

the ſteep part of the mountain, which is ex-
tremely rugged, and covered with immenſe
rocks and trees from top to bottom. The
mouth of the cavern, on this ſtep fide, about
wo thirds of the way up, is guarded by a huge
pendent ſtone, which ſeems ready to drop
every inſtant, and it is hardly poſſible to ſtoop
under it, without reflecting with a certain de-
gree of awe, that were it to drop, nothing
could ſave you from periſhing within the
areary walls of that manſion to which it af-
tords an entrance,

Vor, | | © Pre-

228 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA »

Preparatory to entering, the guide, whom
I had procured from a neighbouring houſe,
lighted the ends of three or four ſplinters of
pitch pine, a large bundle of which he had
brought with him : they burn out very faſt,
but while they laſt are moſt excellent torches,
The fire he. brought along with him, by means
of a bit of green hiccory wood, which, when
once lighted, will burn ſlowly without any
blaze till the whole 1s conſumed.

The firſt apartment you enter 1s about
twenty-five feet high, and fifteen broad, and
extends a conſiderable way to the right and
left, the floor aſcending: towards the former;
here it is very moiſt, from the quantity of
- water continually trickling from the root,
T Fahrenheit's thermometer, which ſtood at 67
4 in the air, fell to 61* in this room. A ſey
E | yards to the left, on the ſide oppoſite to you
k on entering, a paſſage preſents itſelf, which
I leads to a ſort of anti-chamber as it were,
g from whence you proceed into the ſound
room, ſo named from the prodigious reverbe-
ration of the ſound of a voice or mufical in-

i 3 R 0
(
5 N n * N =
, y = F - 4 K _
bg N i 4 n 1 ; TS RAS
= MT j . "Vx =o

ſtrument at the inſide. This room is about :
twenty feet ſquare; it is arched at top, and l
the ſides of it, as well as of that apartment f
which you firſt enter, are beautifully orna- :

mented with ſtalactites. Returnin g from hence
into

MADDISON'S CAVE. 227

into the antichamber, and afterwards taking
two or three turns to the right and left, you
enter a long paſſage about thirteen feet wide,
and perhaps about fifteen in height perpen-
dicularly; but if it was meaſured from the
floor to the higheſt part of the roof obliquely,
the diſtance would be found much greater,
as the walls on both ſides flope very conſider-
ably, and finally meet at top. This paſſage
deſcends very rapidly, and is, I ſhould ſup-
poſe, about ſixty yards long. Towards the
end it narrows conſiderably, and terminates in
a pool of clear water, about three or four feet
deep. How far this pool extends it is impoſſi-
ble to ſay. A canoe was once brought down
by a party, for the purpoſe of examination,
but they ſaid, that after proceeding a little
way upon the water the canoe would not float,
and they were forced to return. Their fears,
moſt probably, led them to fancy it was ſo.
[ fired a piſtol with a ball over the water, but
the report was echoed from the after part of
the cavern, and not from that part beyond the
water, ſo that I ſhould not ſuppoſe the paſſage
extended much farther than could be traced
with the eye. The walls of this paſſage, con-
iſt of a ſolid rock of limeſtone on each fide;
which appears to have been ſeparated by
ſome convulſion. The floor is of a deep ſandy
earth, and it has repeatedly been dug up for

Q 2 the

b bor Jo, Dee W 12
i nl — 6
„ 9 TITTY

228 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA »

the purpoſe of getting falt-petre, with which
the earth is ſtrongly impregnated. The
earth, after being dug up, is mixed ;with wa-
ter, and when the groſſer particles fall to the
bottom, the water is drawn off and evaporated;
from the refidue the faltpetre is procured,
There are many other caverns in this neigh-
bourhood, and alſo farther to the weſtward, in
Virginia; from all of them great quantities of
ſaltpetre are thus obtained. The gunpowder
made with it, in the back country, forms a
principal article of commerce, and is ſent to
Philadelphia in exchange for European ma-
nufactures. ;

About two thirds of the way down this
long paſſage, juſt deſcribed, is a Jarge aper-
ture in the wall on the right, leading to an-
other apartment, the bottom of which 1s about
ten feet below the floor of the paſſage, and it
is no eaſy matter to get down into it, as
the ſides are very ſteep and extremely flippery.
This is the Jargeſt and moſt beautiful room
in the whole cavern ; it is fomewhat of an oval
form, about ſixty feet in length, thirty un
breadth, and in ſome parts nearly fifty fect
high. The petrifactions formed by the watef
dropping from above are moſt beautiful, and
hang down from the ceiling in the form d
ei drapery, the folds of which are ſimilat

to what thoſe of large blankets or carpets
would

1 8

MADDISON'S CAVE, 229

would be if ſuſpended by one corner in a lofty
room. If ſtruck with a tick a deep hollow
ſound is produced, which echoes through the
vaults of the cavern. In other parts of this
room the petrifactions have commenced at the
bottom, and formed in pillars of different
heights; ſome of them reach nearly to the
roof. If you go to a remote part of this apart-
ment, and leave a perſon with a lighted torch
moving about amidſt theſe pillars, a thouſand
imaginary forms preſent themſelves, and you
might almoſt fancy yourſelf in the infernal re-
gions, with ſpectres and monſters on every
ide. The floor of this room ſlopes down gra-
dually from one end to the other, and termi-
nates in a pool of water, which appears to be
on a level with that at the end of the long
paſſage; from their ſituation it is moſt pro-
bable that they communicate together. The
thermometer which I had with me ſtood, in
the remoteſt part of this chamber, at 585.
From hence we returned to the mouth of the
cavern, and on coming into the light it ap-
peared as if we really had been in the infernal
regions, for our faces, hands, and clothes were
ſmutted all over, every part of the cave being
covered with ſoot from the ſmoke of the pine
torches which are ſo often carried in. The
ſmoke from the pitch pine is particularly
thick and heavy, Before this cave was much

Q 3 viſited,

230 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

viſited, and the walls blackened by the ſmoke,
its beauty, I was told by ſome of the old in-
habitants, was great indeed, for the petrifac.
tions on the roof and walls are all of the dead
white kind.

The country immediately behind the Blue
Mountains, between Bottetourt County and
the Patowmac River, is agreeably diverſified
with hill and dale, and abounds with cxten-
five tracts of rich land. The low grounds
bordering upon the Shenandoah River, which
runs contiguous to the Blue Ridge for up-
wards of one hundred mules, are in particular
diſtinguiſhed for their fertility, Theſe low
grounds are thoſe which, {ſtrictly ſpeaking,
conſtitute the Shenandoah Valley, -though in
general the country lying for ſeveral miles
diſtant from the river, and in ſome parts
very hilly, goes under that name. 'The natu-
ral herbage is not ſo fine here as in Bottetourt
County, but when clover is once ſown it
grows moſt luxuriantly; wheat alſo is pro-
duced in as plentiful crops as in any part of the
United States. Tobacco is not raiſed except»
ing for private uſe, and but little] Indian corn
is ſown, as it is liable to be injured by the
nightly froſts, which are common in the
ſpring, |

The climate here is not ſo warm as in the

lower parts of the country, on the eaſtern fide
0:

LANDSCAPES. 231

{
| of the mountains; but it is by no means fo |
| f . I
Z temperate as in Bottetourt County, which, |

from being environed with ridges of moun- |

tains, is conſtantly refreſhed with cooling
breezes during ſummer, and in the winter is
ſheltered from the keen blaſts fram the north
welt. !
The whole of this country, to the weſt of |
the mountains, 1s increaſing moſt rapidly in a 1
population. In the neighbourhood of Win-
cheſter it is ſo thickly ſettled, and conſequently
ſo much cleared, that wood is now beginning
to be thought valuable; the farmers are obliged
frequently to ſend ten or fifteen miles even for
their fence rails. It is only, however, in this
particular neighbourhood that the country 1s
ſo much improved; in other places there are
immenſe tracts of woodlands {till remaining,
and in general the hills are all left uncleared.
The hills being thus left covered with trees 1s
a circumſtance which adds much to the beauty
of the country, and intermixed with extenſive
fields clothed with the richeſt verdure, and
watered by the numerous branches of the She-
nandoah River, a variety of pleaſing landſcapes
are preſented to the eye in almoſt every part of
the route from Bottetourt to the Patowmac,
many of which are conſiderably heightened 2
he by the appearance of the Blue Mountains in
de the back ground.

df Q 4 With

4 —

A ö KY
is o U = w . 4 Y \ * *
I . ——— — ‚—— . ‚ rere Ek LF or cw cc gs Tx” Har

232 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

With regard to theſe landſcapes however, and
to American landicapes in general, it is to be
obſerved, that their beauty is much impaired by
the unpictureſque appearance of the angular
fences, and of the ſtiff wooden houſes, which
have- at a little diſtance a heavy, dull, and
gloomy aſpect. The ſtumps of the trees allo,
on land newly cleared, are moſt diſagreeable
objects, wherewith the eye is continually aſſail-
ed. When trees are felled in America, they
are never cut down cloſe to the ground, but
the trunks are left ſtanding two or three feet
high; for it is found that a woodman can cut
down many more in a day, ſtanding with a
gentle inclination of the body, than if he were
to ſtoop ſo as to apply his axe to the bottom
of the tree; it does not make any difference
either to the farmer, whether the ſtump is left
two or three feet high, or whether it is cut
down level with the ground, as in each caſe it
would equally be a hindrance to the plough,
Theſe ſtumps uſually decay in the courſe of
feven or eight years; ſometimes however
ſooner, ſometimes later, according to the qua-
lity of the timber. They never throw up
ſuckers, as ſtumps of trees would do in Eng-
land if left in that manner.

The cultivated lands in this country are
moſtly parcelled out in ſmall portions ; there
are no perſons here, as on the other fide of the

mountain

33 233

mountains, poſſeſſing large farms; nor are
there any eminently diſtinguiſhed by their edu-
cation or knowledge from the reſt of their fel-
low citizens. Poverty alſo is as much un-
known in this country as great wealth. Each
man owns the houſe he lives in and the land
which he cultivates, and every one appears to
be in a happy ſtate of mediocrity, and unam-
bitious of a more elevated ſituation than what
he himſelf enjoys.

The tree inhabitants conſiſt for the moſt
part of Germans, who here maintain the ſame
character as in Pennſylvania and the other
ſtates where they have ſettled. © About one
ſixth of the people, on an average, are ſlaves,
but in ſome of the counties the proportion is
much leſs; in Rockbridge the ſlaves do not
amount to more than an eleventh, and in She-
nandoah County not to more than a twentieth
part of the whole.

Between Fincaſtle and the Patowmac there
are ſeveral towns, as Lexington, Staunton,
Newmarket, Woodſtock, Wincheſter, Straſ-
burgh, and ſome others. Theſe towns all ſtand
on the great road, running north and ſouth
behind the Blue Mountains, and which is the
high road from the northern ſtates to Ken-
tucky.

As I paſſed along it, I met with great num-
bers of people from Kentucky and the new

ſtate

234 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

ſtate of Tenaſſee going towards Philadelphia
and Baltimore, and with many others going
in a contrary direction,“ to. explore, as they
call it, that is, to ſearch for lands conveniently
fituated for new ſettlements in the weſtern

country. Theſe people all travel on horſeback,

with piſtols or ſwords, and a large blanket
folded up under their ſaddle, which laſt they
ule for ſleeping in when obliged to paſs the
night in the woods, There is but little occa-
ſion for arms now that peace has been made
with the Indians ; but formerly it uſed to be
a.very ſerious undertaking to ga by this route
to Kentucky, and travellers were always obliged
to go forty or fifty in a party, and well pre-
pared for defence. It would be ſtill danger-
ous. for any perſon to venture fingly ; but if
five or ſix travel together, they are perfectly
ſecure. There are houſes now ſcattered along
nearly the whole way from Fincaſtle to Lex-
ington in Kentucky, ſo that it is not neceflary
to ſleep more than two or three nights in the
woods in going there. Of all the uncouth hu-
man beings I met with in America, theſe peo-
ple from the weſtern country were the molt
ſo; their curiolity was boundleſs. Frequently
have I been ſtopped abruptly by one of them
in a ſolitary part of the road, and in ſuch a
manner, that had it been in another country,

1 ſhould have imagined it was a highwayman

9 that

LEXINGTON. 235

that was going to demand my purſe, and
without any further preface, aſked where I
came from? if I was acquainted with any
news? where bound to? and finally, my name?
* Stop, Miſter! why I gueſs now you be
“ coming from the new ſtate.” © No, Sir,” —
« Why then I gueſs as how you be coming
« from Kentuc®*.” No, Sir.“ — “ Oh! why
* then, pray now where might you be coming
6e from?” © From the low country.” — Why
« you muſt have heard all the news then; pray
now, Miſter, what might the price of bacon
*« be in thoſe parts?” © Upon my word, my
« friend, I can't inform you. —“ Aye, aye; I
« ſee, Miſter, you be'n't one of us; pray now,
%% Miſter, what might your name be? — A
ſtranger going the ſame way 1s ſure of having
the company of theſe worthy people, ſo deſir-
ous of information, as far as the next tavern,
where he is ſeldom ſuffered to remain for five
minutes, till he is again aſſailed by a freſh ſet
with the ſame queſtions.

The firſt town you come to, going north-
ward from Bottetourt County, is Lexington,
a neat little place, that did contain about one
hundred houſes, a court-houſe, and gaol ; but
the greater part of it was deſtroyed by fire juſt
before I got there. Great numbers of Iriſh are

* Kentuc ky,

ſettled

„ r

rer
A - ou

Is
k
7
4
b
1 —_
1
N 1
-*
a_—

236 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

ſettled in this place. Thirty miles farther on
ſtands Staunton. This town carries on a con-
ſiderable trade with the back country, and
contains nearly two hundred dwellings, moſtly
built of ſtone, together with a church. This
was the firſt place on the entire road from
Lynchburgh, one hundred and fifty miles dif-
tant, and which I was about ten days in travel-
ling, where I was not able to get a bit of freſh
meat, excepting indeed on paſſing the Blue
Mountains, where they brought me ſome ve-
niſon that had been juſt killed. I went on fifty
miles further, from Staunton, before I got any
again. Salted pork, boiled with turnip tops
by way of greens, or fried bacon, or fried falted
fiſh, with warm ſallad, dreſſed with vinegar and
the melted fat which remains in the frying-

3B pan after dreſſing the bacon, is the only food
1 to be got at moſt of the taverns in this coun-
Y try; in ſpring it is the conſtant food of the
1 people in the country; and indeed, throughout
3 the whole year, I am told, falted meat is what
= - they moſt generally uſe.

I In every part of America a European is

ſurpriſed at finding ſo many men with military
titles, and ſtill more ſo at ſeeing ſuch num-
bers of them employed in capacities apparently
ſo inconſiſtent with their rank; for it is
nothing uncommon to ſee a captain in the
ſhape of a waggoner, a colonel the driver of a

ſtage

STAUNTON. 237

ſtage coach, or a general dealing out penny rib-
bon behind his counter; but no where, I be-
lieve, is there ſuch a ſuperfluity of theſe mili-
tary perſonages as in the little town of Sta-
unton; there is hardly a decent perſon in it,
excepting lawyers and medical men, but what
is a colonel, a major, or a captain. This is to
be accounted for as follows: in America, every
freeman from the age of ſixteen to fifty years,
whoſe occupation does not abſolutely forbid it,
muſt enrol himſelf in the militia. In Virginia
alone, the militia amounts to about ſixty-two
thouſand men, and it is divided into four di-
viſions and ſeventeen brigades, to each of which
there is a general and other officers. Were
there no officers therefore, excepting thoſe
actually belonging to the militia, the number
muſt be very great; but independent of the
militia, there are alſo volunteer corps in moſt
of the towns, which have likewiſe their re-
ſpective officers. In Staunton there are two of
theſe corps, one of cavalry, the other of artil-
lery. Theſe are formed chiefly of men who
find a certain degree of amuſement in exer-
ciſing as ſoldiers, and who are alſo induced
to aſſociate, by the vanity of appearing in re-
gimentals. The militia is not aſſembled
oftener than once in two or three months, and
as it reſts with every individual to provide
himſelf with arms and accoutrements, and no

ſtreſs

= mary - if = — oO i 4 TT TA” i. Im eee 1 1 1 Fam r # = 2 Lu r _— £E = * oy —_— & CR WNT —__ "2 =
. r r IEDTWETT SP”: > A 7 r 0 1 TT TI ES SOC —— \
- by PR ifs = VR * = = * _ 3 SE _— = l La 2 = Las \ uy 1 J 7 = r 8 voy . « | bu * = = * N 7 = * 1 4 7 Eo * —=> __ =
2 „ 3 * R Wei R „ ne n F 1 . II. 4 8 of. dl J I I < b E j —_— T3. 9 *
2 . . ˙rͤ ̃ —ĩuñ EE I TR #. 9 = CY gr IF 8 \ | _— LL LS.
£254 LY - RES Lac F%Y © IT \ Li (a b A l 3 0 0
4 N 5 * 6 8 by — 9 1 wilt 63 \ 5 or , C d 9 We

= eee
RSS * 9 *

+38 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

ſtreſs being laid upon coming in uniform, the
appearance of the men is not very military,
Numbers alſo of the officers of theſe volun-
teer corps, and of the militia, are reſigning
every day; and if a man has been a captain or
a colonel but one day either in the one body
or the other, it ſeems to be an eſtabliſhed rule
that he 1s to: have nominal rank the reſt of his
life. Added to all, there are ſeveral officers of
the old continental army neither in the militia
Nor in the volunteer corps.

Wincheſter ſtands one hundred miles to the
northward of Staunton, and is the largeſt town
in the United States on the weſtern fide of the
Blue Mountains. The houſes are eſtimated
at three hundred and fifty, and the inhabitants
at two thouſand. There are four churches
in this town, which, as well as the houſes, are
plainly built. The ſtreets are regular, but
very narrow. 'There 1s nothing particularly
deſerving of attention in this place, nor indeed
in any of the other ſmall towns which have
been mentioned, none of them containing more
than ſeventy houſes each.

*
p
* L
_ T =,
\ wy
Was ; e "=
$ . 3 _ » —_—

I 239 J

* .

„r

* —_—_— »#
pn_ 1

Deſcription f the Paſſage of Patowmac and
Shenandoah Rivers through a Break in the
Blue Mountains. — Some Obſervations on Mr.
Tefferſon's Account of the Scene. — Summary
Account of Maryland. — Arrrval at Phila-
delphia.—Remarks on the Climate of the
United States,—State of the City of Phila-
delphia during the Heat of Summer.—Dift-
culty of preſerving Butter, Milk, Meat, Fiſh,
Sc. General Uſe of Ice. —Of the Winds.—
State of Weather in America depends greatly

upon them.

* *

— 1 —
TEC Sai 0. £

Philadelphia, June.

H AVING traverſed, in various directions,
the country to the welt of the Blue Moun-
tains in Virginia, I came to the Patowmac, at
the place where that river paſſes through the
Blue Ridge, which Mr. Jefferſon, in his Notes
vpon Virginia, has repreſented as one of the
moſt ** ſtupendous ſcenes in nature, and worth
* a voyage acroſs the Atlantic.” The ap-
proach towards the place is wild and romantic.
After crofiing a number of ſmall hills, which
riſe one above the other in ſucceſſion, you at
laſt perceive the break in the Blue Ridge; at
the fame time the road ſuddenly turning, winds

down

r 7

In TE FFT TX. . _ a5 23 = Wo = ap - Rs
_ 1 — hz CREE Ty, _ a4 LA
E * „„ PAY 27 5; A IST va

242 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA +
down a long and ſteep hill, ſhaded with lofty

trees, whoſe branches unite over your head,
On one ſide of the road there are large heaps
of rocks above you, which ſeem to threaten

deſtruction to any one that paſſes under them;

on the other, a deep precipice preſents itſelf,

at the bottom of which is heard the roaring

of the waters, that are concealed from the eye
by the thickneſs of the foliage. Towards the
end of this hill, about fixty feet above the
level of the water, ſtands a tavern and a few
houſes, and from ſome fields in the rear of

them the paſſage of the river through the

mountain is, I think, ſeen to the beſt advan-
tage.

The Patowmac on the left comes winding
along through'a fertile country towards the
mountain; on the right lows the Shenandoah:
uniting together at the foot of the mountain,
they roll on through the gap ; then ſuddenly
expanding to the breadth of about four hun-
dred yards, they paſs on towards the ſea, and
are finally loſt to the view amidſt ſurround-
ing hills. The rugged appearance of the fides
of the mountain towards the river, and the
large rocks that lie ſcattered about at the
bottom, many of which have evidently been
ſplit aſunder by ſome great convulſion, © are
monuments,” as Mr. Jefferſon obſerves, of the

War that has taken place at this ſpot be-
” tween

PASSAGE OF RIVERS: 241

« tween rivers and mountains; and at firſt
« ſight they lead us into an opinion that
* mountains were created before rivers be-
„gan to flow; that the waters of the Pa-
« towmac and Shenandoah were dammed up
« for a time by the Blue Ridge, but continu-
ing to riſe, that they at length broke through
* at this ſpot, and tore the mountain aſunder
from its ſummit to its baſe,” Certain it is,
that if the Blue ;Ridge could be again made
entire, an immenſe body of water would be
formed on the weſtern fide of it, by the

Shenandoah and Patowmac rivers, and this:

body of water would be deepeſt, and conſe-

quently would act with more force in ſapp-

ing a paſſage for itſelf through the mountain
at the identical ſpot where the gap now 1s
than at any other, for this is the loweſt ſpot in

a very extended tract of country. A glance

at the map will be ſufficient to fatisfy any
perſon on this point; it will at once be ſeen,
that all the rivers of the adjacent country
bend their courſes hitherwards. Whether
the ridge, however, was left originally entire,
or whether a break was left in it for the paſ-
ſage of the rivers, it is impoſſible at this day
to aſcertain; but it is very evident that the
lides of the gap have been reduced to their
preſent rugged ſtate by ſome great inunda-
tion. Indeed, ſuppoſing that the Patowmac

Vor. I. R and

„

Sh. — 22
— > fa Wl
A<am_ ——_

*
*
—
_ „ — —2
-

GY _—_ C
w * ON Ty. |
N

—

* *
— y * * 2 * _ "4 7 = -
= WY." 8 £ "8 - $4 - 4 — a

2 * » A
= = 2

—

4 wv
n

— —
">
| ple

—

* = 2 2
—_ - 4
CIS net — — —— .
_ FF FEE eee

242 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

and Shenandoah ever roſe during a flood, a
common circumſtance in ſpring and autumn,
only equally high with what James River did
in 1795, that is fifteen feet above their uſual
level, ſuch a circumſtance might have occa-
ſioned a very material alteration in the ap-
pearance of the gap.

The Blue Ridge, on each fide of the Pa-
towmac, is formed, from the foundation to the
ſummit, of large rocks depoſited in beds of
rich ſoft earth. This earth is very readily
waſhed away, and in that caſe the rocks con-
ſequently become looſe ; indeed, they are fre-
quently looſened even by heavy ſhowers of
rain. A proof of this came within my own
obſervation, which I ſhall never forget. It
had been raining exceſſively hard the whole
morning of that day on which J arrived at
this place; the evening however was very fine,
and being anxious to behold the ſcene in every
point of view, I croſſed the river, and aſcend-
ed the mountain at a ſteep part on the oppo-
ſite de, where there was no path, and many
large projecting rocks. I had walked up
about fifty yards, when a large ſtone that J
ſet my foot upon, and which appeared to me
perfectly firm, all at once gave way; it had
been looſened by the rain, and brought down
ſuch a heap of others with it in its fall, with
ſuch a tremendous noiſe at the ſame time,

that

ROCKS LOOSENE D. 243

that I thought the whole mountain was com-
ing upon me, and expected every moment to
be daſhed to pieces. I ſlid down about twenty
feet, and then luckily caught hold of the

branch of a tree, by which I clung ; but the

ſtones ſtill continued to roll down heap after
heap; ſeveral times, likewite, after all had
been ſtill for a minate or two, they again began
to fall with increaſed violence. In this ſtate
of ſuſpenſe I was kept for a conſiderable time,
not knowing but that ſome ſtone larger than
the reſt might give way, and carry down
with it even the tree by which I held. Un-
2cquainted alſo with the paths of the moun-
tain, there ſeemed to me to be no other way
of getting down, excepting over the fallen
ſtones, a way which I contemplated with
horror. Night however was coming on very
fait; it was abſolutely neceſſary to quit the fi-
tuation I was in, and fortunately I got to the
bottom without receiving any further injury
than two or three ſlight contuſions on my hips
and elbows. The people congratulated me
when I came back on my eſcape, and inform-
ed me, that the ſtones very commonly gave
way in this manner after heavy falls of rain;
but on the diſſolution of a large body of ſnow,
immenſe rocks, they faid, would ſometimes
roll down with a craſh that might be heard
lor miles. The conſequences then of a large

R 2 rock

Ld
" —
» 6.0 4 hows * — 1 .

1 TT 0 /

2 2 4a%
— —
—

244 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

rock towards the bottom of the mountain
being undermined by a flood, and giving way,
may be very readily imagined : the rock aboye
it, robbed of its ſupport, would alſo fall; this
would bring down with it numbers of others
with which it was connected, and thus a diſ-
ruption would be produced from the baſe to
the very fummit of the mountain.

The paſſage of the rivers through the ridge
at this place is certainly a curious ſcene, and
deſerving of attention; but I am far from
thinking with Mr. Jefferſon, that it is © one
of the moſt ſtupendous ſcenes in nature,
and worth a voyage acroſs the Atlantic ;” nor
has it been my lot to meet with any perſon
that had been a ſpectator of the ſcene, after
reading his deſcription of it, but what alſo
diftered with him very materially in opinion,
To find numberleſs ſcenes more ſtupendous,
it would be needleſs to go farther than Wales.
A river, it is true, is not to be met with in
that country, equal in ſize to the Patowmac;
but many are to be ſeen there ruſhing over
their ſtony beds with much more turbulence
and iinpetuoſity than either the Patowmac
or Shenandoah : the rocks, the precipices, and
the mountains of the Blue Ridge at this place
are diminutive and unintereſting alſo, com-
pared with thoſe which abound in that coun-
try. Indeed, from every part of Mr. Jeffer-

8 ſon's

IRON. 244

ſon's deſcription, it appears as if he had be- 8
held the ſcene, not in its preſent ſtate, but at *
the very moment when the diſruption hap- A
pened, and when every thing was in a ſtate —
of tumult and confuſion. | i

After croſſing the Patowmac, I paſſed on |
to Frederic in Maryland, which has already 1
been mentioned, and from thence to Baltimore. "7%
The country between Frederic and Baltimore 1
is by no means ſo rich as that weſt of the 2
Blue Ridge, but it is tolerably well cultivated. :
Iron and copper are found here in many g
places. No works of any conſequence have F
as yet been eſtabliſhed for the manufacture of (;
copper, but there are ſeveral extenſive iron 1

works. The iron is of a remarkably tough
quality; indeed, throughout the ſtates of
Maryland, Virginia, and Pennſylvania, it is
generally ſo; and the utenſils made of it, as
pots, kettles, &c. though caſt much thinner
than uſual in England, will admit of being
pitched into the carts, and thrown about,
without any danger of being broken. The
forges and furnaces are all worked by negroes,
who ſeem to be particularly ſuited to ſuch

TY CO * 7
= » "2

_ -
*

— 2 = 82 _—_ *

— — —
>

; an occupation, not only on account of their 1
, : |
; fable complexions, but becauſe they can ſuſtain 1
a much greater degree of heat than white 1
perſons without any inconvenience. In the 4
r x ' |
5 hotteſt days in ſummer they are never with- g

out fires in their huts. |

*
p .
Ee. A «th.

R 3 The

-— \

4s TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

- The farms and plantations in Maryland
conliſt, in general, of from one hundred to one
thouſand acres. In the upper parts of the
ſtate, towards the mountains, the land is di-
vided into ſmall portions. Grain is what is

lM Ar ET EET

—_ :
b e 7 46 3 r l n
A OSS TINY 9 2 Li we * * AY * „ =P

4 principally cultivated, and there are few flaves.
3 In the lower parts of the ſtat-, and in this
2 part of the country between Frederic and
I Baltimore, the plantations are extenſive ; large
=_ quantities of tobacco are raiſed, and the labour

is performed almoſt entircly by negroes. The
perſons reſiding upon theſe large plantations
live very ſimilar to the planters in Virginia:
all of them have their ſtewards and overſeers,
= and they give themſelves but little trouble
about the management of the lands. As in |
Virginia, the clothing for the flaves, and moſt |

9 FAST RT PIES
{ N —_— ND

_ . NN. YA -
"Wy 9

5 of the implements for huſbandry, are manu- |
IF factured on each eſtate. The quarters of the
5 ſlaves are ſituated in the neighbourhood of t
4 the principal dwelling houſe, which gives R
the reſidence of every planter the appearance {

of a little village, juſt the fame as in Virginia. t

The houſes are for the moſt part built of n

wood, and painted with Spaniſh brown ; and h

in front there is generally a long porch, paint- fr

ed white. ri

From Baltimore I returned to Philadelphia, th

where I arrived on the fourteenth day of June, pe

after having been abſent about three months, le;

During

W E AT H E R. 247

During the whole of that period the weather
had been extremely variable, ſcarcely ever re-
maining alike four days together. As early
as the fourteenth of March, in Pennſyivania,
Fahrenheit's thermometer ſtood at 65 at noon
day, though not more than a week before it
had been fo low as 14%. At the latter end
of the month, in Maryland, I ſcarcely ever
obſerved it higher than 50? at noon : the even-
ings were always cold, and the weather was
ſqually and wet. In the northern neck of
Virginia, for two or three days together, during
the ſecond week in April, it role from 80? to
84*, in the middle of the day; but on the wind
ſuddenly ſhifting, it fell again, and remained
below 70* for ſome days. As I paſſed along
through the lower parts of Virginia, I fre-
quently afterwards obſerved it as high as 80?
during the month of April; but on no day in
the month of May, previous to the fourteenth,
did 1t again riſe to the ſame height; indeed,
O tar from it, many of the days were too cold
to be without fires ; and on the night of the
ninth inſtant, when I was in the neighbour-
hood of the South-weſt Mountains, fo ſharp a
froſt took place, that it deſtroyed all the cher-
ries, and alſo moſt of rhe early wheat, and of
the young ſhoots of Indian corn; in ſome
particular places, for miles together, the young
leaves of the foreſt trees even were all wither-

R 4 ed,

. 2 5 »
— — —— — — 1 = y
*

—
* 1 ,
*
—

243 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

ed, and the country had exactly the appear.
ance of November. On the tenth inſtant, the
day after the froſt, the thermometer was as
low as 46* in the middle of the day; yet four
days afterwards it ſtood at 81% During the
remainder of the month, and during Tune,
until I reached Philadelphia, it fluctuated be-
tween 60? and $80*; the weather was on the
whole fine, but frequently for a day or two
together the air felt extremely raw and dif.
agreeable, The changes in the ſtate of the
atmoſphere were alſo ſometimes very ſudden,
On the fixth day of June, when on my way
to Frederic Town, aſter paſſing the Patowmac
River, the moſt remarkable change of this
nature took place which I ever witneſſed.
The morning had been oppreſſively hot; the
thermometer at 817, and the wind S. S. W.
About one o'clock in the afternoon, a black
cloud appeared in the horizon, and a tre-
mendous guſt came on, accompanied by thun-
der and lightning; ſeveral large trees were torn
up by the roots by the wind; hailſtones, about
three times the ſize of an ordinary pea, fell
for a few minutes, and afterwards a torrent of
rain came pouring down, nearly as if a water-
ſpout had broken over head. Juſt before the
guſt came on, I had ſuſpended my thermometer
from a window with a northern aſpect, when
it ſtood at 81*; but on looking at it at ”

LIM ATE. 249

end of twenty- three minutes, by which time
the guſt was completely over, I found it down
to 59*, a change of 22'. A north-weſt wind

now ſet in, the evening was moſt delightful,

and the thermometer again roſe to 65%. In
Pennſylvania the thermometer has been known
to vary fifty degrees in the ſpace of twenty-
ſix hours,

The climate of the middle and ſouthern
ſtates is extremely variable; the ſeaſons of two
ſucceeding years are ſeldom alike; and it
ſcarcely ever happens that a month paſſes
over without very great viciſſitudes in the
weather taking place. Doctor Rittenhouſe
remarked, that whilſt he reſided in Pennſyl-
vania, he diſcovered nightly froſts in every
month of the year excepting July, and even in
that month, during which the heat 1s always
greater than at any other time of the year, a
cold day or two ſometimes intervene, when a
hre is found very agreeable.

The climate of the ſtate of New York is
very ſimilar to that of Pennſylvania, excepting
that in the northern parts of that ſtate, border-
ing upon Canada, the winters are always ſevere
and long. The climate of New Jerſey, Dela-
ware, and the upper parts of Maryland, is alſo
much the fame with that of Pennſylvania; in
the lower parts of Maryland the climate does
not differ materially from that of Virginia to

the

_—_—

-
2 - KK ,. —
Cs —ů ů — — '— —— ñ—ð w. — —— — — ſ—

e eg

—

he Ga 8 »
q j 8 . +
8 i. s EC la

Fo 1
Aw —

* "a — *
4 _-— A *

„—

— r rr
— 225. 1
e — 2 .

—

,
wy

- A?
_ = —
I *
W
4 5 "I

{4 W

= 1%
9 3
1 = =
l l -?
8
1 G
by Ss — L
* 0
- =
ES
|
1 |
. 5
+.Y 4
fl
1
1
"F
+3

250 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

the caſtward of the Blue Ridge, where it very
rarely happens that the thermometer is as low
as 6* above cipher.

In Pennſylvania, the range of the mercury in
Fahrenheit's thermometer has been obſerved
to be from 24* below cipher to 105* above it;
but it is an unuſual occurrence for the mercury
to ſtand at either of theſe extreme points ; in
its approach towards them it commonly draws
much nearer to the extreme of heat than to
that of cold. During the winter of 1795, and
the three preceding years, it did not fink lower
than 10* above cipher; a ſummer however
ſeldom paſſes over that it does not riſe to g6*.
It was mentioned as a ſingular circumſtance,
thatin 1709 the thermometer never roſe higher
than ge*.

Of the oppreſſion that is felt from the ſum»
mer heats in America, no accurate idea can be
formed without knowing the exact ſtate of
the hygrometer as well as the height of the
thermometer. The moiiture of the air varies
very much in different parts of the country;
it alſo varies in all parts-with the winds; and
it is ſurpriſing to find what a much greater
degree of heat can be borne without incon-
venience when the air is dry than when it 1s
moiſt. In New England, in a remarkably dry
air, the heat is not found more inſupportable
when the thermometer ſtands at 1007, than it
1;

am wu mas A \8\-

C LIM AT KE. 251

is in the lower parts of the ſouthern ſtates,
where the air is moiſt, when the thermometer
ſtards perhaps at go, that is, ſuppoſing the
wind to be in the fame quarter in both places.
In ſpeaknig of Virginia I have taken notice of
the great difference that 1s found between. the
climate ef the mountains and the climate of
the low country in that ſtate. The caſe is the
fame in every other part of the country, From
the mountains in New England, along the
different ridges which run through New York,
New Jertcy, Pennſylvania, Maryland, and the
ſouthern ſtates, even to the extremity of
Georgia, the heat is never found very oppreſ-
five; whilſt as far north as Peanſylvania and
New York, the heat in the low parts of the
country, between the mountains and the ocean,
is frequently intolerable.

In the courſe of the few days that I have
ſpent in Philadelphia during this month, the
thermometer has riſen repeatedly to 86? and
for two or three days it ſtood at 93*%Þ During
theſe days no one ſtirred out of doors that was
not compelled to do ſo ; thoſe that could make
it convenient with their buſineſs always walk-
ed with umbrellas to ſhade them from the
ſun ; light white hats were univerſally worn,
and the young men appeared dreſſed in cotton
or linen jackets and trowſers ; every gleam of

ſunſhine ſeemed to be conſidered as baneful
and

4 \
. hoaf _— TY
: _ —_
3 5 *S ®
— >: be, a N —
the 5 = = _
=

_
— ad. — — — Os

--:-" vi, Gi

e
*k <2 FF FE i hows a,

2.447

00 "as =
is A > 2 1 3 Ih GET ks. Ty
N — Ae B_- W by N f l = = \ Land IE þ 4 « q "A Y = 1 - Mu
N "ff = dl a od: 99 La 9 2 * F. — rer 1
— * LM FE OY Ye DES a N \ n . 1 : F YA
"—_ ”

1. ad
n ——_

NA”

+ BY * A SM - 7 «< l LLALI = EIT _ \ N CN = on Sf 4";
= ol 9
4 9

_—

= A 5 ST 3
R

THESES 3
%® . 1 * p

SS
a a

—

ö 3 N

A D
+ AC "a lt. 888 * © - —_— *
4 » S

5 ®
„
n
W
od
-”

* «© # Tia. TH en” 18 KL . * * =
3 bs. ä 88
5 as a 3 1 N A
8 1 Og
R
— . I

as.

.
N

252 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

and deſtructive ; the window fhutters of each

houſe were cloſed early in the morning, ſo as
to admit no more light than what was abſo-
lutely neceſſary for domeſtic buſineſs ; many
of the houſes, indeed, were kept fo dark, that
on going into them from the ſtreer, it was im-
poſſible at firſt entrance to perceive who was
preſent. The beſt houſes in the city are fur-
niſhed with Venetian blinds, at the outſide, to
the windows and hall doors, which are made to
fold together hke common window ſhutters,

Where they had theſe they conftantly kept

them cloſed, and the windows and doors were

left open behind them to admit air. A very
different ſcene was preſented in the city as
ſoon as the ſun was ſet; every houſe was then
thrown 'open, and the inhabitants all crowded
into the ſtreets to take their evening walks,
and viſit their acquaintance. It appeared every
night as if ſome grand ſpectacle was to be
exhibited, for not a ſtreet or alley was there
but what was in a ſtate of commotion. This
varied ſcene uſually laſted till about ten o'clock;
at eleven there 1s no city in the world, perhaps,
fo quiet all the year round; at that hour you
may walk over half the town without ſeeing
the face of a human being, except the watch-
men. Very heavy dews ſometimes fall after
theſe hot days, as ſoon as the ſun is down, and
the nights are then found very cold; at other

X tunes

WRX AT M B. R 253

times there are no dews, and the air remains
hot all the night through. For days together
in Philadelphia, the thermometer has been
obſerved never to be lower than 80* during
any part of the twenty-four hours.

I obſerve now that meat, can never be
kept, but in an ice houſe or a remarkable
cold cellar, for one day, without being tainted.
Milk generally turns ſour in the courſe of one
or two hours after it comes from the cow.
Fiſh is never brought to market without being
covered with lumps of ice, and notwith-
ſanding that care, it frequently happens that
it is not fit to be eat. Butter is brought to
market likewiſe in ice, which they generally
have in great plenty at every farm houſe;
indeed it is almoſt conſidered as a neceſſary
of life in theſe low parts of the country.
Poultry intended for dinner 1s never killed till
about four hours before the time it is wanted,
and then it is kept immerſed in water, without
which precaution it would be tainted. Not-
withſtanding all this, I have been told, that
were I to ſtay in Philadelphia till the latter
end of July or beginning of Auguſt, I ſhould
find the heat much more intolerable than it
has been hitherto: Moſt of the other large
ſea port towns, ſouth of Philadelphia, are
equally hot and diſagreeable in ſummer; and

Baltumore,

nennen

4 R = CR RUE LIPY 7. 4 a, RO” LESS [RES * 11 FRY FEET J 4 _ * CR
// J
Narr „ S RB 1 TCR ST 6
_ Pal al = R Ry PATE FY \ 2 ® N 1 1 * „ * * 2 1 = 5 ny 12 = SAT 1; 2 = nf * w W 981 9 4 8 ——
= * . . - 8 * 9 9 2 5M £2. Le net ils 118 en = = aun l = * nen - W e
bo u 4 # + . o þ o N TY © is 2 2 — =" FY ws. 41 ES 2 F 0 = =_ = C 9
. Y 9 | \ — FP

* = 2
8 -

hay

R
A N

9
n

f
_—_— 7 7

2 9 LES
> Rad, EE
| r
* * — I} } ts
S Be I Ces

”—

art TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

Baltimore, Norfolk, and ſome others, even
more ſo.

The winds in every part of the country
make a prodigious. difference in the tempe-
rature of the air. When the north-weſt wind
blows, the heat is always found more tolerable
than with any other, although the thermome-
ter ſhould be at the ſame height. This wind
is uncommonly dry, and brings with it freſh
animation and vigour to every living thing.
Although this wind is ſo very piercing in
winter, yet I think the people never complain
ſo much of cold as when the north-eaſt wind
blows ; for my own part I never found the air
fo agreeable, let the ſeaſon of the year be what
it would, as with the north-weſt wind. The
north-eaſt wind is alſo cold, but it renders the
air raw and damp. That from the ſouth-
eaſt 1s damp but warm. Rain or ſnow uſually
falls when the wind comes from any point
towards the caſt. The ſouth-weſt wind, like
the north-weſt, is dry; but it is attended ge-
nerally with warm weather. When in a
ſoutherly point, guſts, as they are called, that
is, ſtorms attended with thunder, lightning,
hail, and rain, are common.

It is a matter of no difficulty to account
for theſe various effects of the winds in Ame-

rica, The north-weſt wind, from coming
over

WIND 8. 258

over ſuch an immenſe tract of land, muſt ne-
ceſſarily be dry; and coming from regions
eternally covered with mounds of ſnow and
ice, it muſt alſo be cold. The north-eaſt
wind, from traverſing the frozen ſeas, muſt be
cold likewiſe ; but from paſſing over ſuch a
large portion of the watry main afterwards, it
brings damps and moiſtures with it. All thoſe
from the eaſt are damp, and loaded with va-
pours, from the ſame cauſe. Southerly winds,
from croſſing the warm regions between the
tropics, are attended with heat; and the ſouth-
weſt wind, from paſſing, like the north-weſt,
over a great extent of land, is dry at the ſame
time; none however is ſo dry as that from the
north-weſt, It is ſaid, but with what truth I
cannot take upon me to ſay, that weſt of
the Alleghany and Appalachian mountains,
which are all in the ſame range, the ſouth-
weſt winds are cold and attended with rain.
Thoſe great extremes of heat and cold, ob-
ſervable on the eaſtern fide of the mountains,
are unknown to the weſtward of them. |

256 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

LETTER NIX.

Travelling in America without a Companion
not pleaſant. Meet two Engliſh Gentlemen,
Get out together for Canada. — Deſcription
of the Country bet ween Philadelphia and New
York. — Briſtol. — Trenton. — Princeton. —
College there. Some Account of it.—Brunf-
wick, —Poſaik Water-fall.-Copper Mine.—
Singular Diſcovery theresf.— New York.—
Deſcription of the City. —Charater and Mun-
ners of the Inhabitants.—Leave it abrupth
on Account of the Fevers.— Paſſage up North
River from New Jorg to Atbany,—Great
Beauty of the North River. — Met Point. —
Higblandt.— Guſts of Wind common in paſſing
them. — Albany. Deſcription of the City and
Inbabitants.— Celebration of the 4th of Juh.
— Annrverſary of American Independence.

MY DEAR SIR, Albany, July.
I Was on the point of leaving Philadelphia
* for New York, intending from thence to
proceed to Canada, when chance brought me
into the company of two young gentlemen
from England, each of whom was ſeparately
preparing to ſet off on a fimilar excurſion.
A rational and agreeable companion, to whom

you might communicate the reſult of your
obſer-

PLEASURES Of A COMPANTON. 257

obſervations, and with whom you might in-
terchange ſentiments on all occaſions, could
not but be deemed a pleafing acquiſition,? I
ſhould imagine, by a perſon on a journey
through a foreign land. Were any one to
be found, however, of a different opinion, I
ſhould venture to affirm, that ere he travelled
far through the United States of America,
where there are ſo few inhabitants in pro-
portion to the extent of the country; where,
in going from. one town to another, it is fre-
quently neceſſary to paſs for many miles to-
gether through dreary woods; and where,
even in the towns, a few of thoſe ſea-ports
indeed excepted which are open to the At-
lantic, there is ſuch ſameneſs in the cuſtoms,
manners, and converſation of the inhabitants,
and fo little amongſt them that intereſts either
the head or the heart; he would not only be
induced to think that a companion muſt add
to the pleaſure of a journey, but were abſo-
lutely neceflary to prevent its appearing inſi-
pid, and at times highly irkſome to him.
For my own part, I had fully determined
in my own mind, upon returning from my tour
beyond the Blue Mountains, never again to
ſet out on a journey alone through any part of
America, if I could poſſibly procure an agree-
able companion. The gentlemen I met with

had, as well as myſelfjtravelled widely through
Vol. I. 8 different

x x =

2 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

different parts of the United States, and formed

nearly the ſame reſolution ; we accordingly
agreed to go forward to Canada together, and
having engaged a carriage for ourſelves as far
as New York, we quitted the cloſe and diſa-
greeable city of Philadelphia on the twentieth
of June, |

The road, for the firſt twenty-five miles,
runs very near the River Delaware, which
appears to great advantage through openings
in the woods that are ſcattered along its ſhores,
From the town of Briſtol in particular,
which ſtands on an elevated part of the banks,
twenty miles above Philadelphia, it is ſeen
in a moſt pleaſing point of view. The river,

here about one mile wide, winds majeſti-

cally round the point whercon the town is
built, and for many miles, both upwards and
downwards, it may be traced through a rich
country, flowing gently along: in general it
is covered with innumerable little floops and
ſchooners. Oppoſite to Briſtol ſtands the city
of Burlington, one of the largeſt in New Jer-
ſey, built partly upon an iſland and partly
on the main ſhore. It makes a good appear-
ance, and adds conſiderably to the beauty of
the proſpect from Briſtol.

Ten miles farther on, oppoſite to Trenton,

which ſtands at the head of the ſloop navi-

gation, you croſs the river. The falls or ra-
pids,

lib
gi
ten

the
wel

PRINCETON. 259

pids, that prevent boats from aſcending any
higher, appear in full view as you paſs, but
their proſpe& is in no way pleaſing ; be-
yond them, the navigation may be purſued
for upwards of one hundred miles in ſmall
boats, Trenton is the capital of New Jer-
ſey, and contains about two hundred houſes,
together with four churches. The ſtreets are
commodious, and the houſes neatly built,
The ſtate-houſe, in which congreſs met for
ſome time during the war, 1s a heavy clumſy

edifice. | |
Twelve miles from Trenton, ſtands Prince-
ton, a neat town, containing about eighty dwel-
lings in one long ſtreet. Here is a large col-
lege, held in much repute by the neighbouring
ſtates. The number of ſtudents amounts to
upwards of ſeventy ; from their appearance,
however, and the courſe of ſtudies they ſeem
to be engaged in, like all the other American
colleges I ever ſaw, it better deſerves the title
of a grammar ſchool than a college. . The
library, which we were ſhewn, is moſt wretched,
conliſting, for the moſt part, of old theolo-
gical books, not even arranged with any re-
gularity, An orrery, contrived by Mr. Rit-
tenhouſe, whoſe talents are ſo much boaſted
of by his countrymen, ſtands at one end of
the apartment, but it is quite out of repair, as
well as a few detached parts of a philoſophical
8 2 apparatus,

— — *

ä * 2 — 1

”
CS h 2 LOC
TA. JT RT OY, n R 2 — Pez. * TIT . = =
A 1 1 e VL g 1 N 8
5 FER * SO - 2 *1. LE = - 1 —
n g Ra 6 . 9 ES LAS — .
E„%ù * 8 by = _— = = oY —_

: *- AF” © PO On
*

266 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA +

apparatus, enclofed in the fame glaſs caſe, At
the oppofite end of the room are two ſmall
cupboards, which are ſhewn as the muſeum.
Theſe contain a couple of, ſmall ſtuffed alli.
vatots, and a few ſingular fiſhes, in a miſer-
able ſtate of preſervation, the ſkins of them
being tattered in innumerable places, from
their being repeatedly toſſed about. The
building is very plain, and of ſtone ; it is one
hundred and eighty feet in front, and four ſto.
ries high.

The next ſtage from Princeton is Brunl-
wick, containing about two hundred houſes;
there is nothing very deſerving of attention
in it, excepting it be the very neat and com-
modious wooden bridge that has been thrown
acroſs the Raritan River, which is about two
hundred paces over. The part over the chan-
nel is contrived to draw up, and on each fide

is a footway guarded by rails, and ornamented
with lamps. Elizabeth Town and Newark,
which you afterwards paſs through in ſuccel- c
ſion, are both of them cheerful lively looking «
places: neither of them is paved. Newark 5 y
built in a ſtraggling manner, and has ven p
much the appearance of a large Engliſh vi- d
lage: there is agreeable ſociety in this tow. Wl 2

Theſe two towns are only eight miles aparh
and each of them has one or two excellent
churches, whoſe tall ſpires appear very beau-

9 tiful

NEW JERSEY. — 2

tiful as you approach at a diſtance, peeping up
above the woods by which they are en-
circled. 5
The ſtate of New Jerſey, meaſured: from
north to ſouth, is about one hundred and ſixty
miles in length; it varies in breadth from arty
to eighty miles. The northern part of jt is
croſſed by the blue ridge of mountains, running
through Pennſylvanja ; and ſhooting off in
different directions from this ridge, there are
ſeveral other ſmall mountains in the neigh-
bourhood. The ſouthern part of the ſtate, on
the contrary, which lies towards the ſea, is
extremely flat and ſandy; it is covered for
miles together with pine trees alone, uſually
called pine barrens, and is very little cultivated.
The middle part, which is croſſed in going
from Philadelphia to New York, abounds
with extenſive tracts of good land; the foil
varies, however, conſiderably, in ſome places
being ſandy, in others ſtoney, and in .others
conſiſting of a rich brown mould. This part
of the ſtate, as far as Newark, is on the whole
well cultivated, and ſcattered about in different
places are ſame excellent farm houſes ; a good
deal of uncleared land, however, ſtill remains.
Beyond Newark the country 18 extremely flat
and marſhy. Between the town and the Po-
laick River there is one marſh, which alone
extends upwards of twenty miles, and is about
8 3 | two

Ty Q \ \ MS,
AY 9 v OE e
= . 9 N
. n e —
8 = A i. 1 4 a —_— . 3 —
N — 1 bs bo

Sai
' FLEE

LI A
2 *
af Dl.
= 1
ad
FY

262 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

two miles wide where you paſs over it. The
road is here formed with large logs of wood laid
cloſe together, and on each fide are ditches to
keep it dry. This was the firſt place where
we met with muſquitoes, and they annoyed us
not a little in paſſing. Towards the latter
end of the ſummer Philadelphia is much in-
feſted with them ; but they had not made
their appearance when we left that city. The
Poſaik River runs cloſe upon the borders of
this marſh, and there is an excellent wooden
bridge acroſs it, ſomewhat ſimilar to that at

New Brunſwick over the Raritan River.

About fifteen miles above it there is a very re-
markable fall in the river. The river, at the
fall, is about forty yards wide, and flows with
a gentle current till it comes within a few per-
ches of the edge of the fall, when it ſuddenly
precipitates itſelf, in one entire ſheet, over a
ledge of rocks of nearly eighty feet in perpen-
dicular height; below, it runs on through a
chaſm, formed of immenſe rocks on each fide;
they are higher than the fall, and ſeem to have
been once united together.

In this neixhibourhood there is a very rich
copper mine : repeated attempts have been
made to work it; but whether the price of
labour be too great for ſuch an undertaking,
or the proprietors have not proceeded with

judgment, certain it is, that they have always
miſcarried,

COPPER MINE. " obs

miſcarried, and ſuſtained very conſiderable
loſſes thereby. This mine was firſt diſcovered
in 1751, by a perſon who, paſling along about
three o'clock in the morning, obſerved a blue
flame, about the fize of a man, iſſuing from
the earth, which afterwards ſoon died away:
he marked the place with a ſtake, and when
the hill was opened, ſeveral large lamps of vir-
gin copper were found. The vein of copper
in the mine is ſaid to be much richer now than
when firſt opened.

From the Poſaik to the North River the
country 1s hilly, barren, and unintereſting, till
you come very near the Jatter, when a noble
view opens all at once of the city of New York
on the oppoſite ſhore, of the harbour, and ſhip-
ping. The river, which is very grand, can be
traced for ſeveral miles above the city ; the
banks are very ſteep on the Jerſey ſide, and
beautifully wooded, the trees almoſt dipping
into the water: numbers of veſſels plying about
in every part render the ſcene extremely
ſprightly and intereſting.

New York is built on an iſland of its own
name, formed by the North and the Eaſt Ri-
vers, and a creek or inlet connecting both of
theſe together. The iſland is fourteen miles
long, and, on an average, about one mile in
breadth ; at its ſouthern extremity ſtands the
city, which extends from one river to the other.

S 4 The

rg = \ 1 Ls 1 Mf 2
rr, ,

264 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA »

The North; or Hudſon River, is nearly two
miles wide ; the Eaſt, or the North-eaſt one;
as it ſhould rather be called, is not quite ſo
broad. The depth of water in each, cloſe to
the city, is ſufficient for the largeſt merchant
veſſels. The principal ſeat of trade, however,
is on the Eaſt River, and | moſt of the veſſels
lie there, as during winter the navigation of
that river is not ſo ſoon impeded by the ice,
At this ſide of the town the houſes and ſtores
are built as cloſely as poſſible. The ſtreets are
narrow and inconvenient, and, as but too com-
monly is the caſe in ſeaport towns, very dirty,
and, conſequently, during the fummer ſeaſon,
dreadfully unhealthy. It was in this part of
the town that the yellow fever raged with ſuch
violence in 1795 ; and during 1796, many per-
ſons that remained very conſtantly there alſo
fell victims to a fever, which, if not the yellow
fever, was very like it. The ſtreets near the
North River are much more airy ; but the
molt agreeable part of the town is in the neigh-
bourhood of the battery, on the ſouthern point
of the iſland, at the confluence of the two
rivers. When New York was in poſſeſſion of
the Engliſh, this battery conſiſted of two or
more tiers of guns, one above the other; but
it is now cut down, and affords a moſt charm-
ing walk, and, on asſummer's evening, is
crowded with people, as it is open to the

breezes

NEW YORK. 26g

breezes from the ſea, which render it particu-
larly agreeable at that ſeaſon, There is a fine
view from it of the roads, Long and Staten
Iſlands, and Jerſey ſhore. At the time of high
water the ſcene is always intereſting on account
of the number of veſſels failing in and out of
port; ſuch as go into the Eaſt River paſs within
a few yards of the walls of the battery.

From the battery a handſome ſtreet, about
ſeventy feet wide, called Broadway, runs due
north through the town; between it and the
North River run ſeveral ſtreets at right angles,
as you paſs which you catch a view of the wa-
ter, and hoats plying up and down ; the diſtant
ſhore of. the river alſo is {cen to great advan»
tage. Had the ſtreets on the oppolite fide of
Broadway been alſo carried down to the Eaſt
River, the effect would have been beautiful, for
Broadway runs along a ridge of high ground
between the two rivers ; it would have con-
tributed alſo-very much to the health of the
place; if, added to this, a ſpacious quay had
been formed the entire length of the city, on
either ſide, inſtead of having the borders of the
rivers crowded with confuſed heaps of wooden
ſtore houſes, built upon wharfs projecting one
beyond another in every direction, New York
would have been one of the moſt beautiful ſea-
ports in the world. All the ſea- ports in America

appear to great diſadvantage from the water,
when

266 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

when you approach near to them, from the
ſhores being crowded in this manner with ir-
regular maſſes of wooden houſes, ſtanding as it
were in the water. The federal city, where
they have already begun to erect the fame kind
of wooden wharfs and ſtore-houſes without
any regularity, will be juſt the ſame. It is
aſtoniſhing, that in laying out that city a grand
quay was not thought of in the plan ; it would
certainly have afforded equal, if not greater
accommodation for the ſhipping, and it would
have added wonderfully to the embelliſhment

of the city.

Many of the private houſes in New York
are very good, particularly thoſe in Broadway.
Of the public buildings there are none which
are very ſtriking. The churches and houſes
for public worſhip amount to no leſs than
twenty-two; four of them are for Preſbyte-
rians, three for Epiſcopalians of the church of
England, three for Dutch Reformiſts, two for
German Lutherans and Calviniſts, two for
Quakers, two for Baptiſts, two for Methodiſts,
one for French Proteſtants, one for Moravi-
ans, one for Roman Catholics, and one for
Jews.

According to the cenſus in 1790, the num-
ber of inhabitants in New York was found to
be thirty thouſand one hundred and forty-

cight free perſons, and two thouſand one *
re

INHABITANTS. 267

dred and eighty ſlaves; but at preſent the
number is ſuppoſed to amount at leaſt to forty
thouſand. The inhabitants have long been
diſtinguiſhed above thoſe of all the other towns
in the United States, except it be the people
of Charleſton, for their politeneſs, gaiety, and
hoſpitality ; and, indeed; in theſe points they
are moſt ſtrikingly ſuperior to the inhabitants
of the other large towns. Their public
amuſements conſiſt in dancing and card aſſem-
blies, and theatrical exhibitions; for the for-
mer a ſpacious ſuite of rooms has lately been
erected, The theatre is of wood, and a moſt
miſerable edifice it is; but a new one is now
building on a grand ſcale, which, it is thought,
will be as much too large for the town as the
other 1s too ſmall,

Being anxious to proceed on our journey
before the ſeaſon was too far advanced, and
alſo particularly deſirous of quitting New
York on account of the fevers, which, it was
rumoured, were increaſing very faſt, we took
our paſſage for Albany in one of the ſloops
trading conſtantly on the North River, be-
tween New York and that place, and em-
barked on the ſecond day of July, about two
o'clock in the afternoon. Scarcely a breath
of air was ſtirring at the time ; but the tide
carried us up at the rate of about two miles
and a half an hour. The ſky remained all day

26 TRAVELS THD NORTH AMERICA:

as ſerene as Poſſible, and as the water way

perfectly ſmooth, it reflected in a moſt. bæauij
ful manner. the images of the various objedy
on the ſhore, and of the numerous veſſels
diſperſed along the river at different di
tances, and which ſeemed to glide along, an
it were, by the power of magic, for the H
all hung down looſe and motionleſs. The
ſuns ſetting in all his glory, added frech bean
to this calm and peaceable ſcene, and pat
matted us for the laſt time to behald. ham
diſtant ſpires of New Vork, illumined hy
parting rays. To deſcribe all the grand anal
beautiful proſpe&s preſented to the vie
paſſing along this noble river, would be
endleſs taſk ; all the vaxious effects that gag
ſuppoſed to ariſe from a happy gombinationan
wood and water, of hill and dale, are. here ken
in the greateſt perfection. In ſome places all
river expands to the breadth of fiye or Wl
miles, in others it narrows: to that of a win
hundred yards, and in various parts it. is int
ſperſed with iſlands ; in ſume places again nl
coprie can be traced: as far as the eye
reach, whillt in others it is ſuddenly loſt to
view, as it winds., between its lofty bang
here mountains covered with rocks and tral
riſe almaſt perpendicularly out of the water
there a fine champaign country Ne itlelt,

cultivated to the very margin of the rwe f
while

2 2

—

— 9
rr
— 2 — ——

———
— — — —
— — e
—

„e

+44 4
_ ——ñ E——œ— 0444-45 #$$+4 $4

VIEW or he PATOWMAC RIVER.

Lublyjhed Dec. «o.1590, by Z Stookalale, Piccad:

5 | 4 SITU HD
"; is ay UMM

Is 4s _—_
— ws «1

þ. 6
&

—

FM
al
' Wil
44 1 1 * i
] 4 1 | | "1 1 ma : G il
$44 HIYA 1144 ' MAGI QUULY TY) owe" I
q l * is $4734 4 o fv * - —
134 . 1

IVE R, from on-. Vernon
A e Piccadilly.

—Y
FI
= EA TY J 9 -
„ = 3 — „ 33
- 5
4 wo pf - 5

PASSAGE TO ALBANY. #65
Whilſt neat farm houſes and diſtant towns
embelliſh the charming landſcapes.

After ſunſet, a brifk wind ſprang up, which
carried us on at the rate of fix or feven miles
an hour fot a conſiderable part of the night;
but for ſome hours we had to lie at anchor at
a place where the navigation of the river was
too difficult to proceed in the dark. Our floop
was no more than ſeventy tons burthen by
regiſter ; but the accommodations ſhe afforded
were moſt excellent, and far ſuperior to what
might be expected on board ſo ſmall a veſſel;
the cabin was equally large with that in a com-
mon merchant veſſel of three hundred tons,
built for croſſing the ocean. This was owing
to the great breadth of her beam, which was
no leſs than twenty-two feet and a half al-
though her length was only fifty-five feet. All
the floops engaged in this trade are built neatly
on the ſame conſtruction; ſhort, broad, and
very ſhallow, few of them draw more than five
or ſix feet water, ſo that they are only calcu-
lated for failing upon ſmooth water.

Early the next morning we found ourſelves
oppoſite to Weſt Point, a place rendered re-
markable in hiſtory by the deſertion of Gene-
arl Arnold, during the American war, and the
conſequent death of the unfortunate Major
Ancre. The fort ſtands about one hundred

and fifty feet above the level of the water, on
the

—_

\ 288

»o TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

the fide of a barren hill; no human creature
appearing in it except the ſolitary centinel,
who marched backwards and forwards on the
ramparts overgrown with long graſs, it had a
moſt melancholy aſpect that perhaps was
heightened by the gloomineſs of the morn-
ing, and the recollection of all the circum-
ſtances attending the unhappy fate of poor
Andre.

Near Weſt Point there is alſo another poſt,
called Fort Putnam, which, ſince the peace,
has been ſuffered to get very much out of
repair ; however, ſteps are now taking to have
it put in good order. Suppoſing that a rup-
ture ſhould ever unfortunately again take place
between Great Britain and the United States
of America, theſe poſts would be of the
greateſt conſequence, as they form a link in
that chain of poſts which extend the whole
way along the navigable waters that connect
the Britiſh ſettlements with New York.

In this neighbourhood the highlands, as
they are called, commence, and extend along
the river on each fide for ſeveral miles. The
breadth of the river is here conſiderably con-
tracted, and fuch ſudden guſts of wind, com-
ing from between the mountains, ſometimes
blow through the narrow paſſes, that veſſels
frequently have their topmaſts carcied away.

The captain of the floop we were in, faid,
that

-AL-B AN T. 271

that his mainſail was once blown into tatters
in an inſtant, and a part of it carried on ſhore.
When the ſky is lowering, they uſually take
in fail going along this part of the river.
About four o'clock in the morning of the

fourth of July we reached Albany, the place

of our deſtination, one hundred and ſixty
miles diſtant from New York.

Albany is a city, and contains about eleven
hundred houſes; the number however is in-
creaſing faſt, particularly ſince the removal of
the ſtate government from New York. In
the old part of the town the ſtreets are very
narrow and the houſes are frightful; they are
all built in the old Dutch taſte, with the gable
end towards the ſtreet, and ornamented on
the top with large iron weather cocks; but in
that part which has been lately erected, the
ſtreets are commodious, and many of the
houſes are handſome. Great pains have been
taken to have the ſtreets well paved and
lighted. Here are four places for public
worſhip, and an hoſpital. Albany is in ſum-
mer time a very diſagreeable place; it ſtands
in a low ſituation, juſt on the margin of the
tiver, which runs very ſlowly here, and to-
wards the evening often exhales clouds of va-
pours; immediately behind the town, likewiſe,
is a large ſand bank, that prevents a free cir-
culation of air, while at the ſame time it

powerfully

1 4 _ af
— a Dd he þ . * n _—
a 1 m_ 4 + 2 888 = . q ,
— 4 _— h T 4 y — s a Pn -— = 2 — * = ”
ä = hs FI l 3
E % 5 ²m u ůãůn;u Cl RRR_R CC _r__

8 O *
1

Fas. * line? =,” * | hs $-*» io - 1 =< ry
1 Y 4 U . 'Þ * = _ 9

a 2 n — n —

4 1 J „ _— *

'252 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

powerfully reflects the rays of the fan, which
ſhines in full force upon it the whole diy,
Notwithſtanding all this, however, the cli.
mate is deemed very ſalubrious.

The inhabitants of this place, a few years
ago, were almoſt entirely of Dutch extraction;
but now ſtrangers are flocking to it from all
quarters, as there are few places in America
more advantageouſly ſituated for commerce.
The flouriſhing ſtate of its trade has already
been mentioned; it bids fair to rival that of
New York in proceſs of time.

The fourth of July, the day of our arrival
at Albany, was the anniverſary of the declara-
tion of American independence, and on our
arrival we were told that great preparations
were making for its celebration v. A drum

and trumpet, towards the middle of the day,

gave notice of the commencement of the re-
Joicings, and on walking to a hill about a

Our landlord, as ſoon as he found out who we were, im-
mediately came to us, to requeſt that we would excuſe the con-
fuſed ſtate in which his houſe was, as this was the anniverlary
day of American Independence,“ or, as ſome, indeed, more
properly called it, of“ American Repentance.” We were il
of us not a little ſurpriſed at this addreſs, and from ſuch 4
perſon; inſtances, however, are not wanting of people openly
declating, that they have never enjoyed ſo much qulet and
happineſs in their own homes ſince the revolution as they did
when the ſtates were the colonies of Great Britain. Atnongk
the planters in Virginia I heard language of this ſort more
than once,

qual tel

4 1 B AN „. 274

quarter of a mile from the town, we ſaw
fixty men drawn up, partly militia, partly vo-
lunteers, partly infantry, partly cavalry; the
latter were clothed in ſcarlet, and mounted on
horſes of various deſcriptions. About three
hundred ſpectators attended. A few rounds
were fired from a three pounder, and ſome
volleys of ſmall arms. The firing was finiſh-
ed before one hour was expired, and then the
troops returned to town, a party of militia
officers in uniform marching in the tear, under
the ſhade of umbrellas, as the day was ex-
ceſſively hot. Having reached town, the
whole body immediately diſperſed. The vo-
Junteers and militia officers afterwards dined
together, and ſo ended the rejoicings of the
day; no public ball, no general entertain-
ment was there of any deſcription. A day
ſtill freſh in the memory of every American,
and which appears ſo glorious in the annals
of their country, would, it might be expect-
ed, have called forth more brilliant and more
general rejoicings; but the downright phleg-
matic people in this neighbourhood, intent
upon making money, and enjoying the ſolid
advantages of the revolution, are but little
diſpoſed to waſte their time in what they con-
der idle demonſtrations of joy.

Vo. I. *

274 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

LETTER XI.

Departure from Albany. — Difficulty of hiring
a Carriage.— Arrival at Cohoz.—Deſcriptim
of the curious Fall there of the Mobauh
River. — Still-water.— Saratoga. — Few of
the Works remaining there.—Singular Mine-
ral Springs near Saratoga.—Fort Edward.
— Miſs M*Crea cruelly murdered there by
Indians. — Fort Ann, wretched Road tbitber.
—Some Obſervations on the American Wood,
— Horſes jaded. — Difficulty of getting for-
ward. Arrive at Skeneſborough.—Dread-
Fully infeſted by Muſquitoes— Particular De-
ſeription of that Inſect.— Great Danger
enſues ſometimes from their Bite, — Be Re.
medy.

MY DEAR SIR, Skeneſborough, July.

E remained in Albany for a few days,
and then ſet off for Skeneſborough,

upon Lake Champlain, in a carriage hired
for the purpoſe. The hiring of this vehick
was a matter attended with ſome trouble, and
detained us longer in the town than we wiſhed

to ſtay. There were only two carriages to de
had in the whole place, and the owners having

an underſtanding with each other, and thinks
ing

— —

VIEW gf he CC

Publghed Dec. 9s. £790, by -

Mm U Il

e I e N 0 ;

FAA IAA 11177 III | | [| 8. $ *. . ; | | 2 | f >.
| W : |

—

en —
—— =

—
I

—

*
N

n >

— ———

[li
M 01101
| : 1111 1
II 166K A
| | 0 | | | J

LIM WE! Inn
1111 |

VN
hb

= .

— — _ — OE ES ES... — — — — — — ——
Ky — — — — a
— — — — — — — — — —— —__ 7

— g_—_—_—_—_—_ee—_e>— — — —
— —_— —— — — — — 4

— err nn nn — — —
—

— — — — — es —
” — — — - I
—

_ — — — — — — — —
— = — — — *
— — — —
- — — — b
— — —
— — — — — — — —
— — — — —
- —
— — — = — — —

— — —

— —

— — __ = — —

— Po = — —
— = - —
— — — — —
— — — — — —
— — — — — _
n == — — —
— — — —
— —
— — = — — — —
— = - —
= — —
—
— — — — —
— — — - — —
— — -
— — — 2
— — —
—
—
—
—
— — _—
— —

Nad
.

Fe COHOZ FALL. .

-. ew. £799, by Z. Stookalate, Piinadilhy .

-
—

COHOZ FALL. 277

ing that we ſhould be forced to give whatever
price they aſked, politively refuſed to let us
have either of them for leſs than ſeventy dol-
lars, equal to fifteen guineas. We. on our part
as poſitively refuſed to comply with a demand
which we knew to be exorbitant, and reſolved
to wait patiently in Albany for ſome other
conveyance, rather than ſubmit to ſuch an
impoſition. The fellows held out for two
days, but at the end of that time one of them
came to tell us we might have his carriage

for half the price, and accordingly we took it.

Early the next morning we fet off, and in
about two hours arrived at the ſmall village of
Cohoz, cloſe to which is the remarkable fall
in the Mohawk River. This river takes its
riſe to the north-eaſt of Lake Oneida, and
after a courſe of one hundred and forty miles,
diſembogues into the Hudſon or North River,
about ten miles above Albany: The Cohoz
Fall is about three nales diſtant from its mouth.
The breadth of the river is three hundred
yards; a ledge of rocks extends quite acroſs,
and from the top of them the water falls about
fifty feet perpendicular ; the line of the fall
from one fide of the river to the other is
nearly ſtraight, The appearance of this fall
varies very much, according to the quantity of
water; when the river is full, the water de-
ſeends in an unbroken ſheet from one bank
T 2 | = .

276 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

to the other, whilſt at other times the greater
part of the rocks are left uncovered. The
rocks are of a remarkable dark colour, and ſo
alſo is the earth in the banks, which riſe to a
great height on either fide. There is a very
pleaſing view of this cataract as you paſs over
the bridge acroſs the river, about three quarters
of a mile lower down.

From hence we proceeded along the banks
of the Hudſon River, through the town of
Stillwater, which receives its name from the
uncommon ſtillneſs of the river oppoſite to it,
and late in the evening reached Saratoga,
thirty-five miles from Albany. This place
contains about forty houſes, and a Dutch re-
formed church, but they are ſo ſcattered about
that it has not the ſmalleſt appearance of a
town.

In this neighbourhood, upon the borders of
a marſh, are ſeveral very remarkable mineral
ſprings ; one of them, in the crater of a rock,
of a pyramidical form, about five feet in height,
is particularly curious. This rock ſeems tg
have been formed by the petrifaction of the
water: all the other ſprings are likewiſe ſur-
rounded with petrifactions of the ſame kind.
The water in the principal ſpring, except at
the beginning of the ſummer, when it regu-
larly overflows, remains about eight inches
below the rim of the crater, and bubbits up

A. ® 4&8 a 277

as if boiling. The crater is nine inches in
diameter. The various properties of the water
have not been yet aſcertained with any great
accuracy; but it is ſaid to be impregnated
with a foſſile acid and ſome ſaline ſubſtance ;
there is alſo a great portion of fixed air in it.
An opportunity is here afforded for making
ſome curious experiments.

If animals be put down into the crater,

they will be immediately ſuffocated ; but if

not kept there too long they recover again
upon being brought into the open air. -

If a lighted candle be put down, the flame
will be extinguiſhed. in an inſtant, and not
even the ſmalleſt ſpark left in the wick.

If the water immediately taken from the
ſpring be put into a bottle, cloſely corked, and
then ſhaken, either the cork will be forced
out with an exploſion, or the bottle will be
broken; but if left in an open veſſel it be-
comes vapid in leſs than half an hour. The
water is very pungent to the taſte, and acts
as a cathartic on ſome people, as an emetic

en others.
Of the works thrown up at Saratoga by

the Britiſ and American armies during the
war, there are now ſcarcely any remains. The
country round about is well cultivated, and the
trenches have been moſtly levelled by the
plough, We here croſſed the Hudſon River,

21 and

278 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

and proceeded along its eaſtern ſhore as far as
Fort Edward, where it 1s loſt to the view, for
the road (till runs on towards the north, whilſt
the river takes a ſudden bend to the weſt.
Fort Edward was diſmantled prior to the
late American war; but the oppoſite armies,
during that unhappy conteſt, were both in
the neighbourhood. Many of the people,
whom we found living here, had ſerved as ſol-
diers in the army, and told us a number of
intereſting particulars relative to ſeveral events
which happened in this quarter. The landlord
of the tavern where we ſtopped, for one, re-
lated all the circumſtances attending Miſs
M-<Crea's death, and pointed out on a hill, not
far from the houſe, the very ſpot where ſhe
was murdered by the Indians, and the place
of her interment. This beautiful young lady
had been engaged to an officer in General
Burgoyne's army, who, anxious for her ſafety,
as there were ſeveral marauding parties going
about in the neighbourhood where ſhe lived,
ſent a party of truſty Indians to eſcort her to
the camp. Theſe Indians had partly executed
their commiſſion, and were approaching with
their charge in fight of the Britiſh camp,
when they were met by another ſet of Indians
belonging to a different tribe, that was allo
attending the Britiſh army at this time. In

a few minutes it became a matter of diſpute
between

FORT EDWARD. 279

between them which ſhould have the honour
of conducting her to the camp; from words
they came to blows, and blood was on the
point of being drawn, when one of their chiefs,
to ſettle the matter without farther miſchief,
went up to Miſs M*Crea, and killed her on
the ſpot with a blow of his tomahawk. The
object of contention being thus removed, the
Indians returned quietly to the camp. The
enormity of the crime, however, was too great
not to attract public notice, and it turned the
minds of every perfon againſt the Indians,
who had not before witneſſed their ferocity on
occaſions equally ſhocking to humanity. The
impolicy of employing ſuch barbarians was
now ſtrongly reprobated, and in a ſhort time
afterwards moſt of them were diſmiſſed from
our army.

Fort Edward ſtands near the river. The
town of the ſame name, is at the diſtance of
one or two hundred yards from it, and con-
tains about twenty houſes, Thus far we had
got on tolerably well; but from hence to
Fort Anne, which was alſo diſmantled prior
to the late war, the road is moſt wretched,
particularly over a long cauſeway between the
two forts, formed originally for the tranſport-
ing of cannon, the ſoil here being extremely
moiſt and heavy. The cauſeway conſiſts of
large trees laid fide by fide tranſverſely, ſome

T 4 of

.
— * — ——

; 2 - +: p 4 N a
— "Ii4 Rr 1 ) Ce. 3 1 1 and bars 4. al r om Gf ee 3s oa x re —_ oe... im.

—— PR —

—

'
1
o”
L
"—X
8
wil
ware
ll
2
8
_
"==
* =
1
=
yo.
1
q _
5
7 *
cv.
.
A.
4

_— wn RE, DW_MMWUL_E_T,, YT LETT > Mos — F_, << Co) T
* * N wo EDS Se - ns A \ * 9 — Aa +. „ "a, 2 7
2 9 A 4 * 4 ö
n „ ˙ IR eo LESS — ä '

= of

#80 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

of which having decayed, great intervals are
left, wherein the wheels of the carriage were
ſometimes locked ſo faſt that the horſes alone
could not poſſibly extricate them. To have
remained in the carriage over this part of the
road would really have been a ſevere puniſh-
ment; for although boaſted of as being the
very beſt in Albany, it had no fort of ſprings,
and was in fact little better than a common
waggon ; we therefore alighted, took our guns,
and amuſed ourſelves with ſhooting as we
walked along through the woods. The woods
here had a much more majeſtic appearance
than any that we had before met with on our
way from Philadelphia; this, however, was
wing more to the great height than to the
thickneſs of the trees, for I could not ſee one
that appeared more than thirty inches in dia-
meter; indeed, in general, the girt of the trees
in the woods of America is but very ſmall in
proportion to their height, and trifling in com-
pariſon of that of the foreſt trees in Great
Britain. The thickeſt tree I ever ſaw in the
country was a ſycamore, which grew upon the
banks of the Shenandoah River, juſt at its
junction with the Patowmac, in a bed of rich
earth, cloſe to the water; yet this tree was no
more than about four feet four inches in dia»
meter. On the low grounds in Kentucky,
and on ſome of the bottoms in the weſtern
territory,

W O O DS. 5 281

territory, it is ſaid that trees are commonly to
be met with ſeyen and eight feet in diameter.
Where this is the caſe, the trees muſt cer-
tainly grow much farther apart than they do
in the woods in the middle Rates, towards
the Atlantic, for there they ſpring up ſo'very
cloſe to each other, that it is abſolutely im-
poſi;ble for them to attain to a great diameter.
The woods here were compoſed chiefly of
oaks *, hiccory, hemlock, and beech trees,
intermixed with which, appeared great num-
bers of the ſmooth bark or Weymouth pines;
as they are called, that ſeem almoſt peculiar
to this patt-of the country. A profuſion. of
wild raſpberries were growing in the ,
here, really of a very good flavour: they, are
commonly found in the woods to the north-
ward of this; in Canada they abound; every
where. 97s
Beyond Fort Anne, which is ſituated at the
diſtance of eight miles from Fort Edward.
the roads being better, we once more mounted
into our vehicle; but the miſerable horſes,
quite jaded, now made a dead ſtop; in vain
the driver bawled, and ſtamped, and ſwore;
his whip had been previouſly worn out ſome
hours, owing to the frequent - uſe he. had
made of it, and the animals no longer feeling

There are upwards of twenty different kinds of oaks in
America, 1K 2 :
Its

n = - : = "Y » am = id 1 1
TTT
FN

28: TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

its heavy laſh, ſeemed as determined as the
mules of the abbeſs of Andouillets to go no
farther. In this ſituation we could not help
bantering the fellow upon the excellence of
his cattle, which he had boaſted ſo much of at
ſetting out, and he was ready to cry with vex-
ation at what we faid; but having accidentally
mentioned the ſum we had paid for the car-
riage, his paſſion could no longer be reftrained,
and it broke forth in all its fury. It ap-
peared that he was the owner of two of the
horſes, and for the uſe of them, and for driy-
ing the carriage, was to have had one half of
the hire ; but the man whom we had agreed
with, and paid at Albany, had given him only
ten dollars as his moiety, affuring him, at the
fame time, that it was exactly the half of
what we had given, although in reality it tell
ſhort of the ſum by feven dollars and a half.
Thus cheated by his companion, and left in
the lurch by his horſes, he vowed vengeance
againſt him on his return; but as proteſtations
of this nature would not bring us any ſooner
to our journey's end, and as it was neceſſary
that ſomething ſhould be immediately done, if
we did not wiſh to remain all night in the
woods, we ſuggeſted. the idea, in the mean
time, of his conducting the foremoſt horſes as
poſtillion, whilſt one of our ſervants ſhould

drive the pair next to the wheel. This plan
was

Lies r e
1 RISER ends.

SK ENESB ORO U G H. 283

was not ſtarted with any degree of ſeriouſ-
neſs, for we could not have ſuppoſed that a
tall mengre fellow, upwards of fix feet high,
and clad in a pair of thin nankeen- breeches,
would very readily beſtride the raw boned
back of a horſe, covered with the profuſe ex-
uditions which the intenſe heat of the wea⸗
ther, and the labour the animal had gone
through, neceſſarily excited. As much tired,
however, of our pleaſantries as we were of
his veiicle, and thinking of nothing, [ believe,
but how he could belt get rid of us, he eagerly
embraced the propoſal, and accordingly, hav-
ing furniſhed himſelf with a ſwitch from the
adjoining thicket, he mounted his harneſſed
Roſinante. In this ſtyle we proceeded ; but
more than once did our gigantic poſtillion turn
round to bemoan the ſorry choice he had
made; as often did we urge the neceſſity of
getting out of the woods ; he could make no
anſwer ; ſo jogging flowly along, we at laſt
reached the little town of Skeneſborough,
much to the amuſement of every one who
beheld our equipage, and much to our own
ſatisfaction ; for, owing to the various acci-
dents we had met with, ſuch as traces break-
ing, bridles flipping off the heads of the
horſes, and the noble horſes themſelves ſome-
times ſlipping down, &c. &c. we had been

264 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

no leſs than five hours in travelling the laſt
twelve miles. | |
Skeneſborough ſtands juſt above the junc-
tion of Wood Creek with South River, as it
is called in the beſt maps, but which, by the
people in the neighbourhood, is conſidered as
a part of Lake Champlain. At preſent there
are-only about twelve houſes in the place;
but if the navigation of Wood Creek is ever
opened, ſo as to connect Lake Champlain
with the North River, a ſcheme which has
already been ſeriouſly thought of, it will,
doubtleſs, ſoon become a trading town of con-
ſiderable importance, as all the various pro-
ductions of the ſhores of the lake will then
be collected there for the New Vork and Al-
bany markets. Notwithſtanding all the diſ-
advantages of a land carriage of forty miles
to the North River, a ſmall portion of flour
and pot-aſh, the ſtaple commodities of the
ſtate of New York, is already ſent to Skeneſ-
borough from different parts of the lake, to
be forwarded to Albany. A conſiderable trade
alſo is carried on through this place, and over
Lake Champlain, between New Y ork and Ca-
nada. Furs and horſes principally are ſent
from Canada, and in return they get Eaſt In-
dian goods and various manufactures. Lake

Champlain opens a very ready communicae
| tion

MUS QUITOES. 295

tion between New York and the country bor-
dering on the St. Lawrence; it is emphatically
called by the Indians, Caniad Eri Guarunte,

the mouth or door of the country.
Skeneſborough is moſt dreadfully infeſted
with muſquitoes; ſo many of them attacked
us the firſt night of our ſleeping there, that
when we aroſe in the morning our faces and
hands were covered all over with large puſ-
tules, preciſely like thoſe of a perſon in the
ſmall pox. This happened too notwithſtand-
ing that the people of the houſe, before we
went to bed, had taken all the pains poſſible to
clear the room of them, by fumigating it with
the ſmoke of green wood, and afterwards ſe-
curing the windows with gauze blinds; and
even on the ſecond night, although we de-
{troyed many dozens of them on the walls,
after a ſimilar fumigation had been made, yet
we ſuffered nearly as much. Theſe inſets
were of a much larger ſize than any I ever
{aw elſewhere, and their bite was uncommonly
venomous. General Waſhington told me,
that he never was ſo much annoyed by mul-
quitoes in any part of America as in Skeneſbo-
rough, for that they uſed to bite through the
thickeſt boot. The ſituation of the place is
indeed peculiarly favourable for them, being
juſt on the margin of a piece of water, al-
moſt ſtagnant, and ſhaded with thick woods.
* The

4
- C — — — 0 — — — — — — — 4 _
= - + *
i. GST Rea i AE» | — woes 1 114 f
—— 1 n * r

—
— — _ -

, =
= =
4 — — = b — — - 2 —
— — — — — — — — — —— — — — — 2 1 — _ = _ _
ll. ctr cog mmerte A a cogumancfW_w aaa coa wltua wank aw. wt woe wala

q *
al
y

.
*
mg OR
—_
SM
—
_
*
[|
—
8
= 1
thei F

— = bo 4 Wy ' aA —_ ſe AE <4 , 4
RS. CLE RI TR
EST * EXERTS 3X AG OR”. TITER

N , PR 8 We gt 1
K | |

ea cm ©
« IT CFOs voy
n :
R 5
R kf *

286 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

The muſquito is of the ſame ſpecies with the
common gnat in England, and reſembles it
very cloſely both in ſize and ſhape. Like
the gnat it lays its eggs on the ſurface of
the water, where they are hatched in the
courſe of a few days, unleſs the water is
agitated, in which laſt caſe they are all de-
ſtroyed. From the egg is produced a grub,
which changes to a chryſalis, and afterwards
to a muſquito; this laſt change takes place on
the ſurface of the water, and if at the mo-
ment that the inſect firſt ſpreads its wings the
water is not perfectly ſtill and the air calm,
it will be inevitably deſtroyed ; at thoſe parts
of the lake, therefore, which are moſt ex-
poſed, and where the water is often agitated,
no ſuch thing as a muiquito is ever ſeen;
neither are they ever found along a large and
rapid river, where the ſhores are lofty and
dry; but in the neighbourhood of marſhes,
low grounds, and ſtagnant waters, they always
abound. Muſquitoes appear to be particularly
fond of the freth blood of Europeans, who al-
ways ſuffer much more the firit year of their
arrival in America than they do afterwards:
The people of the country ſeem quite to diſ-
regard their attacks. Wherever they fix their
ſting, a little tumor or puſtule uſually ariſes,
{uppoſed to be occaſioned by the fermentation,

when mixed with the blood, of a ſmall quan-
tity

MUSQUITOE $: 287

tity of liquor which the inſet always in-
jects into the wound it makes with its ſpi-
cula, as may be ſeen through a microſcope,
and which it probably does to render the
blood more fluid. The diſagreeable itching
this excites is moſt effectually allayed by the
application of volatile alkali; or if the part
newly ſtung be ſcratched and immediately
bathed in cold water, that alſo affords conſider-
able relief; but after the venom has been
lodged for any time, ſcratching only increaſes
the itching, and it may be attended with great
danger. Repeated inſtances have occurred of
people having been laid up for months, and
narrowly eſcaping the loſs of a limb, from
imprudently rubbing a part which had- been
bitten for a long time. Great eaſe is alſo de-
rived from opening the puſtules on the ſecond
day with a lancet, and letting out the blood
and watery matter,

#83 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

LETTER XXI.

Embark on Lake Champlain. Difficulty of

procuring Proviſions at Farms bordering upon
it. Ticonderoga.— Crown Point. Great
Beauty of the Scenery.—-General Deſcription
of Lake Champlain and the agjacent Country.
Captain Thomas and his Indians arrrve at
Crown Pomt.— Character of Thomas.
Reach St. fobn's.—Deſcrtption of that Place.
a—Great Difference obſervable in the Face of
the Country, Inhabitants, &c. in Canada and
in the States. —Chambly Caſtle. — Calaſhes.—
Bons Dieux.—Town of La Prarie.—Great
Rapidity of the River Saint Lawrence,—
Croſs it to Montreal. — Aftoniſhment on ſceing
large Ships at Mantreal. Great Depth of the

River.

Montreal, July.

GQHORTLY after our arrival in Skeneſbo-
rough, we hired a ſmall boat of about ten
tons for the purpoſe of croſſing Lake Cham-
plain. It was our with to proceed on the
voyage immediately; but the owner of the
boat aſſerting that it was impoſſible to go out
with the wind then blowing, (we were for
three days detained in Skeneſborough, a deli-
cious feaſt for the hungry muſquitoes. The

| wind

LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 289

wind ſhifted again and again, ſtill it was not
fair in the opinion of our boatman. At laſt;
being moſt heartily tired of our quarters, and
ſuſpecting that he did not underſtand his bu-
ſineſs as well as he ought to have done, we re-
ſolved not to abide by his opinion any longer,
but to make an attempt at beating out ; and
we had great reaſon to be pleaſed with having
done ſo, as we arrived in Canada three days
before any of the other boats, that did not ven-
ture to move till the wind was quite aft.

We ſet off about one o'clock; but from the
channel being very narrow, it was impoſſible
to make much way by tacking. We got no
farther than fix miles before ſun- ſet. We then
ſtopped, and having landed, walked up to ſome
farm houſes, which appeared at a diſtance, on
the Vermont ſhore, to procure proviſions ; for
the boatman had told us it was quite unne-
ceſſary to take in any at Skeneſborough, as
there were excellent houſes cloſe to the ſhora
the whole way, where we could get. whatever:
we wiſhed, At the firſt we went to, which;
was a comfortable log-houſe, neither bread;
nor meat, nor milk, nor eggs, were to be had ;
the houſe was. crowded with children of all
ages, and the people, I ſuppoſe, thought they
had but little enough for themſelves. At a
ſecond houſe, we found a venerable old man at
the door, reading a news-paper, who civilly
Vor. * U offered

F
c
1 bh Ad —_— F, Iv

n
en
W

. MM

*
2

=. ld. Rd ICT
_ e „

Sh \{ mink

A MES
WI N
—

290 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

offered it to us for our peruſal, and began to
talk upon the politics of the day; we thanked
him for his offer, and gave him to underſtand,
at the ſame time, that a loaf would be much
more acceptable. Bread there was none ; we
got anew Vermont cheeſe, however. A third
houſe now remained in ſight, and we made a
third attempt at procuring ſomething to eat.
This one was nearly half a mile off, but alas!
it afforded ſtill leſs than the laſt; the people
had nothing to diipoſe of but a little nulk,
With the milk and the cheeſe, therefore, we
returned to our boat, and adding thereto ſome
biſcuits and wine, which we had luckily on
board, the whole afforded us a frugal repaſt.
The people at the American farm houſes

will cheertully lie three in a bed, rather than

fuffer a ſtranger to go away who comes to ſeek
for a lodging. As all theſe. houſes, however,
which we had viſited, were crowded with in-
habitants, we felt no great inclination to aſk
for accommodation at any. of them, but deter-
mined to ſleep on board our little veſſel. We
accordingly moored her at a convenient part
of the ſhore, and each of us having wrapped
himſelf up in a blanket, which we had been
warned to provide on leaving New York, we
laid ourſelves down to ſleep. The boat was
decked: two thirds of her length forward, and
had a commodious hold; we gave the pre-

4 ference,

LAKR HAMPLAIN. 291

ference, however, becauſe more airy, to the
cabin or after part, fitted up with benches, and
covered with a wooden awning, under which
a man could juſt fit upright, provided he was
not very tall. The benches, which went
lengthwiſe, accommodated two of us ; and the
third was obliged to put up with the cabin
floor; but a blanket and a bare board, out of
the way of muſquitoes, were luxuries after
our accommodations at Skeneſborough ; our
ears were not aſſailed by the noiſe even of a
ſingle one the whole night, and we enjoyed
ſounder repoſe than we had done for many
nights preceding.

The wind remained nearly in the ſame
point the next morning, but the Jake being
wider, we were enabled to proceed faſter. We
ſtopped at one houſe to breakfaſt, and at an-
other to dine. At neither of theſe, although
they bore the name of taverns, were we able
to procure much more than at the houſes
where we had ſtopped the preceding evening.
At the firſt we got a little milk, and about
two pounds of bread, abſolutely the whole of
what was in the houſe; and at'the ſecond, a
few eggs, and ſome cold falted fat pork; but
not a morſel of bread was to be had. The
wretched: appearance alſo of this laſt habita-
tion was very ſtriking; it conſiſted of a wooden
frame, merely with a few boards nailed againſt

2 it,

The only dwelling here is the tavern, which

292 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

it, the-crevices between which were the only
apertures for the admiſſion of light, except the
door; and the roof was ſo leaky, that we were
ſprinkled with the rain even as we fat at the
fire fide. That people can live in ſuch a man-
ner, who have the neceſlaries and convenien-
cies of life within their reach, as much, as any
others in the world, is really moſt aitoniſhing!
It is, however, to be accounted for, by that de-
fire of making money, which is thc predo-
minant feature in the character of the Ameri-
cans in general, and leads the petty farmer in
pas ar to ſuffer numberleſs inconveniencies,
when he can gain by ſo doing. If he can ſell
the produce of his land to advantage, he keeps
as ſmall a part of it as poſſible for himſelf, and
lives the whole year round upon ſalt provi-
ſions, bad bread, and the fiſh he can catch in
the rivers or lakes in the neighbourhood ; if
he has built a comfortable houſe for himſelf,
he readily quits it, as ſoon as finiſhed, for mo-
ney, and goes to live in a mere hovel in the
woods till he gets time to build another. Mo-
ney is his idol, and to procure it he gladly
foregoes every ſelf-gratification.

From this miſerable habitation, juſt men-
tioned, we departed as ſoon as the rain was
aver, and the wind coming round in our fa-
vour, we got as far as Ticonderoga that night.

TICONDEROGA 293

is a large houſe built of ſtone. On entering
it we were ſhewn into-a ſpacious apartment;
crowded with boatmen and people that had

juſt arrived from St. John's, in Canada. See-

ing ſuch a number of gueſts in the houſe, we
expected nothing leſs than to be kept an hour
or two till ſufficient ſupper was prepared for
the whole company, ſo that all might fit down
at once together, which, as I have before faid,
is the cuſtom in the country parts of the United
States, Our ſurpriſe therefore was great at
perceiving a neat table and a comfortable little
ſupper ſpeedily laid out for us, and no attempts
made at ſerving the reſt of the company till we
had quite finiſhed. This was departing from
the ſyſtem of equality in a manner which we
had never witneſſed before, and we were at a
loſs for ſome time to account for it; but we
preſently heard that the woman of the houſe
had kept a tavern for the greater part of her
life at Quebec, which reſolved the knotty point.
The wife is generally the active perſon in ma-
naging a country tavern, and the huſband at-
tends to his farm, or has ſome independent oc-
cupation. The man of this houſe was a judge,
a ſullen demure old gentleman, who fat by the
fire * with tattered clothes and diſhevelled

* Though this was the 14th day of July, the weather was
ſo cold that we found a fire extremely agreeable,

U 3 locks,

294 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :
locks, reading a book, totally regardleſs of eyery

perſon in the room.

The old fort and barracks of Ticonderoga
are on the top of a riſing ground, juſt behind
the tavern; they are quite in ruins, and it is not
likely that they will ever be rebuilt, for the
ſituation is very inſecure, being commanded by
a lofty hill called Mount Defiance. The
Britiſh got poſſeſſion of the place the laſt war
by dragging cannon and mortars up the hill,
and firing down upon the fort. |

Early the next morning we left Ticon-
deroga, and purſued our voyage to Crown
Point, where we landed to look at the old fort,
Nothing 1s to be ſeen there, however, but a
heap of ruins; for ſhortly before it was given
up by the Britiſh, the powder magazine blew
up, by which accident a great part of the works
was deſtroyed; ſince the evacuation of it alſo,
the people in the neighbourhood have been
continually digging in different parts, in hopes
of procuring lead and iron ſhot ; a conſider-

able quantity was in one inſtance got aut of the

ſtores that had been buried by the exploſion,
The vaults, which were bomb proof, have
been demolithed for the ſake of the bricks for
building chimneys, At the fouth fide alone
the ditches remain perfect ; they are wide and
deep, and cut through immenſe rocks of lime-
ſtone; and from being overgrown towards the
top with different kinds of ſhrubs, have a grand

and

CROWN POINT. 295
and pictureſque appearance. The view from
this ſpot of the fort, and the old buildings in
it overgrown with ivy, of the lake, and of the
diſtant mountains beyond it, is indeed altoge-
ther very fine. The fort, and ſeven hundred
acres of good cleared land adjoining to it, are
the property of the ſtate of New Vork, and are
leaſed out at the rate of one hundred and fifty
dollars, equal to Z. 33. 105. ſterling per an-
num, which 1s appropriated for the uſe of a
college. The farmer who rented it told us,
he principally made uſe of the land for grazing
cattle; theſe, in the winter ſeaſon, when the
lake was frozen, he drove over the ice to Al-
bany, and there diſpoſed of.

Crown Point is the moſt advantageous ſpot
on the ſhores of Lake Champlain for a mi-
litary poit, not being commanded by any riſing
grounds in the neighbourhood, as Ticonderoga
is, and as the lake is ſo narrow here, owing
to another point running out on the oppoſite
fide, that it would be abſolutely impoſſible for
a veſſel to paſs, without being expoſed to the
fire of the fort. The Indians call this place
Tek-ya-dough-nigarigee, that is, the two points
immediately oppoſite to each other: the one
oppoſite to Crown Point is called Chimney
Point; upon it are a few houſes, one of which
is a tavern, While we ſtaid there we were
very agreeably ſurpriſed, for the firſt time, with
U 4 the

296 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA :

the ſight of a large birch canoe upon the lake,
navigated by two or three Indians in the dreſſes
of their nation. They made for the ſhore and
ſoon landed; and ſhortly after another party,
amounting to ſix or ſeven, arrived, that had
come by land. |

On board our little veſſel we had a poor
Canadian, whom we took in at Skeneſborough.
Tempted by the accounts he had heard of the
United States, he quitted his own home in Ca»
nada, where he lived under one of the ſeigniors,
and had gone as far as Albany, in the neigh-
bourhood of which place he had worked for
{ome time with a farmer; but finding, that
although he got higher wages, he had to pay
much more for his proviſions than in Canada,
and that he was alſo moſt egregiouſly cheated
by the people, and particularly by his employer,
trom whom he could not get even the money
he had earned; finding likewiſe that he was un-
able to procure any redreſs, from being igno-
rant of the Engliſh language, tne poor fellow
determined to return to Canada, and on his
way thither we met him, without a ſhilling in
his pocket,

Having aſked this little fellow, as we failed
along, ſome queſtions about the Indians, he
immediately gave us a long account of a Cap-
tain Thomas, a chief of the Cachenonaga na-

tion, in the neighbourhood of whoſe village he
faid

CAPTAIN THOMAS. 297

ſaid he lived. Thomas, he told us, was a very
rich man, and-had a moſt excellent houſe, in
which he faid he lived as well as a ſeignior,
and he was ſure we ſhould be well received if
we went to ſee him; he told us alſo that he had
built a church, and was a chriſtian ; that he
was very charitable, and that if he were ac-
quainted with his preſent diſtreſs he would
certainly make him a preſent of four or five
dollars. Oh je vous aſſure, meſſieurs, que
* c'eſt un bon ſauvage.” It was impoſſible
not to ſmile at the little Canadian, who, half
naked himſelf, and nearly as dark as a mulatto,
concluded his panegyric upon Thomas, by
aſſuring us, © he was a good ſavage ;” at the
ſame time we felta ſtrong defire to behold this
chief, of whom we had heard ſo much. It was
not long before we were gratified, for the party
of Indians that arrived whilſt we were at
Chimney Point were from the Cachenonaga
village, and at their head was Captain Thomas.

| Thomas appeared to be about forty-five
years of age; he was nearly fix feet high, and
very bulky in proportion : this is a. ſort of make
uncommon among the Indians, who are gene-
rally lender. He was dreſſed like a white
man, in boots ; his hair untied, but cut ſhort ;
the people who attended him were all in the
indian habit. Not one of his followers could
peak a word of En gliſh or French; Thomas,
however,

298 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA ;

however, could himſelf ſpeak both languages,

Engliſh he ſpoke with ſome little heſitation,

and not correctly; but French ſeemed as fa-
miliar to him as his native tongue. His ptin»
Cipal attention ſeemed. to be directed towards
trade, which he had purſued with great ſac.
ceſs, ſo much ſo, indeed, that, as we after-
wards heard, he could get credit in any ſtore in
Montreal for five hundred pounds. He had
along with him at Chimney Point thirty horſes
and a quantity of furs in the canoe, which he
was taking for ſale to Albany. His people,
he told us, had but very few wants ; he took
care to have theſe always ſupplied ; in return
they brought him furs, taken in hunting ; they
attended his horſes, and voluntarily accom-
panied him when he went on a trading expe-
dition: his profits therefore muſt be immenſe.
During the courſe of converſation he told us,
that if we came to ſee him he would make us
very happy; that there were ſome very hand-
ſome ſquaws * in his village, and that each of
us ſhould have a wife: we promiſed to viſit him
if it was in our power, and parted very good
friends. Thomas, as we afterwards found, is
not a man reſpected among the Indians in ge-
neral, who think much more of a chief that is
a good warrior and hunter, and that retains the

* Female Indians,

habits

its

LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 299

habits of his nation, than of one that becomes
a trader, and aſſimilates his manners to thoſe of
the whites.

Lake Champlain is about one hundred and
twenty miles in length, and is of various
breadths: for the firſt thirty miles, that is, from
South River to Crown Point, it is in no place
more than two miles wide; beyond this, for
the diſtance of twelve miles, it is five or ſix
miles acroſs, but then again it narrows, and
again at the end of a few miles expands, That
part called the Broad Lake, becauſe broader
than any other, commences about twenty-five
miles north of Crown Point, and is eighteen
miles acroſs in the wideſt part, Here the lake
is interſperſed with a great number of iſlands,
the largeſt of which, formerly called Grande
Iſle, now South Hero, is fifteen miles in length,
and, on an average, about four in breadth.
The ſoil of this iſland is fertile, and it is faid
that five hundred people are ſettled upon it.
The Broad Lake is nearly fifty miles in length,
and gradually narrows till it terminates in a
large river called Chambly, Richlieu, or So-
relle, which runs into the St. Lawrence.

The ſoundings of Lake Champlain, except
at the narrow parts at either end, are in general
very deep; in many places ſixty and ſeventy,
and in ſome even one hundred fathoms. In
proportion to its breadth and depth, the water

e
N 0 CL TIES 7

300 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

is more or leſs clear; in the broad part it'is as
pure and tranſparent as poſſible. On the weſt
fide, as far as Cumberland Bay, the lake is
bounded for the moſt part by ſteep mountains
cloſe to the edye of the water ; at Cumberland
Bay the ridge of mountains runs off to the
north weſt, and the ſhore farther on is low and
ſwampy. The Eaſt or Vermont ſhore is not
much elevated, except in a few particular
places; at the diſtance of twelve miles, how.
ever, from the lake 1s a conſiderable mountain,
The ſhores on both ſides are very rocky; where
there are mountains theſe rocks jut out very
boldly; but at the eaſt fide, where the land is
low, they appear but a little above the water.
The iſlands alſo, for the moſt part, are fur-
rounded with rocks, in ſome parts, ſhelving
down into the lake, fo that it is dangerous to
approach within one or two miles of them at
particular ſides. From ſome parts of the eaſtern

thore the rocks alſo run out in the ſame man-

ner for a conſiderable diſtance. Sailing along
the ſhore when a breeze is blowing, a hollow
murmuring noiſe is always heard from the wa-
ters ſplaſhing into the crannies of theſe rocks.
There are many ſtreams which fall into the
lake: the mouths of all thoſe on the weſtem
ſide are obſtructed by falls, ſo that none of them
are navigable. Of thoſe cn the eaſtern or
Vermont fide, a few only are navigable for
ſmall boats, and that for a ſhort diſtance. :

The

for
be:

SCENE RT. 5 got

The ſcenery along various parts of the lake
is extremely grand and pictureſque, particularly
beyond Crown Point; the ſhores are there
beautifully ornamented with' hanging woods
and rocks, and the mountains on the weſtern
fide riſe up in ranges one behind the other in
the moſt magnificent manner. It was on one
of the fineſt evenings poſſible that we paſſed
along this part of the lake, and the ſun ſetting
in all his glory behind the mountains, ſpread
the richeſt tints over every part of the proſpect;
the moon alſo appearing nearly in the full,
ſhortly after the day had cloſed, afforded us an
opportunity of beholding the | ſurrounding
ſcenery in freſh though leſs brilliant colours.
Our little bark was now gliding ſmoothly along,
whilſt every one of us remained wrapt up in
ilent contemplation of the ſolemn ſcene, when
ſuddenly ſhe {truck upon one of the ſhelving
rocks: nothing but hurry and confuſion was
now viſible on board, every one lending his
aſſiſtance; however, at laſt, with ſome diffi-
culty, we got her off; but in a minute ſhe
ſtruck a ſecond time, and after we had again
extricated her, even a third and a fourth time;
at laſt ſhe ſtuck ſo faſt that for a ſhort time we
deſpaired of being able to move her. At the
end of a quarter of an hour, however, we again
tortunately got her into deep water. We had
before ſuſpected that our boatman did not
know

yoz TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

know a great deal about the navigation of the
lake, and on queſtioning him now, it came out,
that he had been a cobler all his life; till within
. the laſt nine months, when he thought proper

5 to change his buſineſs, and turn ſailor. All the
. * knowledge he had of the ſhores of the lake,
4 was what he had picked up during that time,
4 as he failed ſtraight backward and forward be-
3 tween St. John's and Skeneſborough. On the

= . prefent occaſion he had miſtaken one bay for
| another, and had the waves been as high as
they ſometimes are, the boat would op

* ——ů FLY Si. O£AtS lan „** FA

have been daſhed to pieces. t
A The humble roof of another judge, a plain ]
„ Scotch labourer, afforded us ſhelter for this 0

night. It was near eleven o'clock, however,

when we got there, and the family having

retired to reſt we had to remain rapping and

calling at the door for half an hour at leaſt,

before we could get admittance. The people

| at laſt being rouſed, opened their doors, cheer-

= fully got us ſome ſupper, and prepared their

beſt beds for us. In the morning, having

paid our reckoning to the judge, he returned

to his plough, and we to our boat to proſecute
our voyage.

We ſet off this day with a remarkable fine

breeze, and being deſirous of terminating our

; voyage as ſoon as poffible, of which we began

now to be ſomewhat tired, we ſtopped but
once

once in the courſe of the day, and determined
to ſail on all night. A ſhort time after ſun
{ct we paſſed the boundary between the Bris
tiſh dominions and the United States. Here
we were brought to by an armed brig of
twenty guns, under Engliſh colours, ſtationed
for the purpoſe of examining all boats pathng
up and down the lake: the anſwers which we
gave to the ſeveral queſtions'aſked being ſatis-
factory, we were accordingly ſuffered to pro-
ceed. Since the ſurrender of the poſts, pur-
ſuant to the late treaty with the United States,
this brig has been removed, and laid up at St.
John's. When night came on, we wrapped
ourſelves up in our blankets, as we had done
on the firſt night of our voyage, and laid down
upon the cabin floor, where we might poſſibly
have ſlept until we got to St. John's, had we
not been awakened at midnight by the loud
hollas of the ſentinel at the Britiſh fort on Ile
aux Noix, On examining, into the matter, it
appeared that the boat had been driven on
ore, while our ſleepy pilot enjoyed his nap»
at the helm; and the centinel, unable to
e magine what we were about, ſeeing the boat
run up cloſe under the fort, and ſuſpicious. of
eme attack, I ſuppoſe, had turned out the
ur hole guard; by whom, after being examined
in and re-examined, we were finally diſmiſſed.
at We now took the command of the boat upon
Our =

30% TRAVELS THROUGH. LOWER CANADA :

ourſelves, for the boatman, although he was
more anxious to get to St. John's than any one
of us, and though he had himſelf in ſome-
meaſure induced us to go on, was ſo fleepy
that he could not keep his eyes open. Reliev-
ing each other at the helm, we. reached-$t;
John's by day- break; one hundred and fifty
miles diſtant from Skeneſborough.

Immediately. on our landing we were con-
ducted to the guard houſe, where we had to
deliver to the ſerjeant on duty, to be by him
forwarded to the commanding officer, an ac-
count of our names, occupation, and place of
abode, the ſtricteſt orders having been iſſued
by the governor not to ſuffer any Frenchmen
or other foreigners, or any people who could
not give an exact account of their buſineſs in
* to enter into the country.

St. John's is a garriſon town; it contains
about fifty miſerable wooden dwellings, and
barracks, in which a whole regiment is gene-
rally quartered. The fortifications are entirely
out of order, ſo much ſo that it would be
cheaper to erect freſh works than to attempt
to repair them. There is a king's dock yard
here, well ſtored with timber, at leaſt, when
we ſaw it; but in the courſe of the ſummer,
after the armed brig which I mentioned was
laid up, all the timber was ſold off. The old
hulks of ſeveral veſſels of force were lying
oppoſite

An, Kas, Mari

N EewWw RS UT H

WA44 EA SC

b 1 lemupeeg 4

Purcocooan
4 4
[ P Lake 2 cet
LS Ann
Ake of the 4
Woods
Di "os 4

Ram Lake

| L A |
"oat

& Si tn ofh

* ; 1 1 [cle

8 WY

* 127 Ta
- — . . R . : 7 7
Wiehilumuchy;, 1 ff

2 Gren 8
avi
\ = 6 i-,
* 7
* 7 , the - a *
( { Gund H
— . — AY 10
t. } JS. >
0 Detroit ts GA
= y /
= We ED J
Fo _ pink
— 2 1 N. I AK
A. VEW. u. ET Mg
A4 17. | or
OF 2 * N 4 Py

o
\ CANADA þ. |
LIENS

Publiched Vov Tre ® 17

JAMES'S

BAY

ne. zune
4 Ar N
N 3 Trowv Ree
W. Q
— 2 F. Peter 6
*

SS a. Ls / 4
/ MontrealtF ol

we Late —

Hurlngton

2 Jonstonn of LAN LAIN
a. N Kin georg. eVirgennes
ralgerire 7. tf \ _—_ on, 5

* r
of : Croun 2
n P an®/, York Lake L £. >
CIP 14. WL George Skeens borough \,
* ,” : ö D= . Oswego F:.reorge
of Pa - A Cencrsce
: *. an, gt Sulu 1

2 Sara

*
vo Pr, P 4

— 8 Bo 2 2 5 Lonottude Wert from 7 Londen.
0 7 a

—

w 120 1798 by JStockaale Piccadilly.

i
p
5
L
*
= 1
W
x
E= #'
lege ws es
8 *
1
—-
LAT

—
1

S = ( ( FP .
*

| „ D HAM BL YT oe
oppoſite the yard. In proportion to the in-
creaſe of trade between New York and Lower
Canada this town muſt improve, as it is the
Britiſh port of entry on Lake Champlain.

The country about St. John's is flat, and
very bare of trees, a dreadful fire in the year
1788 having done great miſchief, and deſtroyed
all the woods for ſeveral miles: in ſome parts
of the neighbourhood the people ſuffer ex-
tremely during winter from the want of fuel.

At St. John's we hired a light waggon,
ſimilar to thoſe made uſe of in the United
States, and ſet off about noon for La Prarie,
on the banks of the river St. Lawrence. By
the direct road, this is only eighteen miles
diſtant; but the moſt agreeable way of going
thither is by Chambly, which is a few miles
farther, on account of ſeeing the old caſtle built
there by the French. The caſtle ſtands cloſe
to the rapids in Chambly or Sorelle River, and
at a little diſtance has a grand appearance; the
adjacent country alſo being very beautiful, the
whole together forms a moſt intereſting ſcene.
The caſtle is in tolerably good repair, and a
garriſon is conſtantly kept in it.

As you travel along this road to La Prarie,
after having juſt arrived from the United States
over Lake Champlain, a variety of objects
forcibly remind you of your having got into a
new country, The Britiſh flag, the ſoldiers

. 1. X on

306 - TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

on duty, the French inhabitants rung

about in their red nightcaps, the child
coming to the doors to ſalute you as you'pal
a thing unknown in any part of the Unital

States; the compact and neat exterior appeats

ance of the houſes, the calaſhes, the boi
dieux, the large Roman Catholic chu

and chapels, the convents, the prieſts in g

robes, the nuns, the friars; all ſerve to

vince you that you are no longer in any

of the United States: the language alſo uh
fers, French being here univerſally ſpoken-

The calaſh is a carriage very generally ul
in Lower Canada; there is ſcareely a fat
indeed in the country who does not poliels
one: it is a ſort of one horſe chaiſe, capable
of holding two people. beſides the driver, will
fits on a kind of box placed over the foot
board expreſsly for his accommodation. Til
body of the calaſh is hung upon broad ſtrap
of leather, round iron rollers that are place
behind, by means of which they are ſhortened
or lengthened. On each fide of the carriage
is a little door about two feet high, whereby
you enter it, and which is uſeful when ſhub
in preventing any thing from Clipping: ou
The harneſs: for the horſe is always made ul
the old French taſte, extremely heavy; it i
ſtudded with braſs nails, and to particular py

| 0

e _ Www

% # * — % WI” *Þ\ bs

6
* + 31 4
1
on
* 1
5
1
e
x o ]
4
ff
_
0
[
h
* 4 8 x
1
1
[
o
o
_
[ a _
— L 4
1
LL
J = n
1 *
8 r
OW” | F) ”
2
i >
*
4 ©
$ * * —
* "OTE 1
- .
j
5 jo f
a = 0
n o
14.6
& j.-
= = 9 * *
— 1 —_ \
<p _ * 1
N
9 by %
x _ =
KY.
S =
S i
Fa 1
' od = bs
- > g *
* £0
l th
o
i
[i

4
14
*
«
— LA
Fg -
=
o 0
T *
?
- 9 #
*
1
1
X P
4
= dl |
*
(
&
C2
s
” | b
j _ no

1
-
*
LA

* ——
*

IS
Wi
10
1 :

ö
if
—

122. -
r

TIT

tow

({ 4 2
1 , * di
+ DI bf L þ +
WY FL * \
yp. 5 A5 ) 1 ) \
EF a OOTY
.» -_ ff oo
yo FEAT LILIT TH welt
TN 34
bd j
127 0 an N
RE

TL [ft te W

4
* 4 V

.
*

% n
. *

**
*

, | ” -

*S 7% LP.
l

L414
\ _
A

CANADIAN CALASH or MARC]

Der a 1798, by 1 Stnokdale, Zo

„ alt;

Wil WO
bs i
| 1 16 WI

„ if : WW

/ #7 7 7 / 7 7%% 6 N WW 10

7 WH : Ji l | 7 „% „

51 ] : WI f j : 77 WE 7 f h
1 N | 5 / 750 7 fl Tf ' 57 7 WI WI

575 „ th 75 7 0

% „ 10 660 160 1666

7 WI TH Ii 770 7 nh 7 4 TY

17 „ WJ
i 6 I un 75 7 Wi 5 70 „„ } | |
/ — | 7 „, * Wl Wl In j : Wl 7 | — 77 76 4 9 * j l jt ſl
575 7 55 | f "MT I 757 / 7 / li , Mi Wi TH 1 540 i l 4 j * 700 . £4
: 75% VII it | WY
| We WF, Wh MAYA! 7 1 141 „
f : | / p 1 i 11 grit J 4 DH 75 HAND 775
* / 1775 6 [ ll ] : 7 [ / 6% Uo 79 7. 7 " WI, It 0 -
„, * iti if l 1 it i! il WI! (/7 / \ * f
/ 7% þ l Wi! 6 Wi WH "or „„ Hl ff th 4 . li fff {/ WAL
WM HU 130 00 OVALE * 7750 MG
W Mit WH) j 50 06 1 0 6 ö F H My 6 Vi 4 1 WWW! / ml
7 10 51 N 7 „„ 79 ily i} if Wl 27 Wr 6755
| Me li 757 Wil 60 i YH Wall WET
g /j 7 WITHIN) i] 67 66607¹7d¼r ſl Wl,
Il 14 ſ / 17 lj \ 1 WIN ul lt 55 1 66% ＋ 75 W Yu!
TH \ %, "1 50 %%%. ＋ f
MI 4 * Wit %%, . 6% 4 ed 75 We 22
ny : | "i 10 [ i 1 M/ / ö 5 HIT : "7 1 A 5 f

14+ 97

144 7% ne 1, 4447

166 0

7 WI WA!

MI 7 it] j 7 y WI / 7 lj 'F ol |

„ ll l {/ 5 5 W Wl 7 þ | M Wh 6 6 6 * 0 5 16 74 /
%% „ | 60% 1 We fl 1 0

5, it f 1 7 '| ; 7
e 1 60 %

, WI WW! Ms 15 Ml 71

N 1 Fri
TI fl ** " 20 1
75 Wl WH, . MF WH

e
. WW TINY | 4 /
N T3 * . .

6000 M1; Wu 1 - * , {i * 1 i | 4 y . . TY 77

6 |
} 1 WH 7
66% % 0

7779. N
. „ f I ul 7 it . N Wl / 1 6 5 N 0 ) N Wy F 5 fins, 4
jj 6. LH, 166 MN 177 It 7 j | | N \ TR 7 Lids N

7 „ 1 on l 1 * 77 Ml 1 "tr 14 % Wi | 7% x |

77 „ 77 4 Wh 5 60 W % g
19) N 1 [ 5 29 5 bY
: 7 . %%. 7 7 if / ' LT wp by 72 We

» #} SJ

J \

WI 7
7 Ju 14 "I 16 6
WT / , 4 1 77 .

I COL

PI
19 / lj 5

>
IJSJ
%

WHT /

#9 ir
\

_—
—

wn.

MARCHE-DONC.

OO 152
RS lf _—_ = Mo 8 [4 9 N

f 05
: LIES
0 8
GUS

GB.

rRNA 307

of it are attached ſmall bells, of no uſe that I
could ever diſcover but to annoy the paſſenger,

The bons dieux are large wooden crucifixes,
ſometimes upwards of twenty feet in height,
placed on the highway; ſome of them are
highly ornamented and painted: as the people
paſs they pull off their hats, or in ſome other
way make obeiſance to them.

La Prarie de la Madelene contains about
one hundred houſes: after ſtopping an hour or
two there we embarked in a bateau for Mon-
treal.

Montreal is ſituated on an iſland of the
ſame name, on the oppoſite ſide of the River
St. Lawrence to that on which la Prarie
ſtands, but ſomewhat lower down. The two
towns are nine miles apart, and the river is
about two miles and a quarter wide, The
current here is prodigiouſly ſtrong, and in par-
ticular places as you croſs, the boats are hur-
ried down the ſtream, in the midſt of large
rocks, with ſuch impetuoſity that it ſeems as
if nothing could fave them from being daſhed
to pieces; indeed this would certainly be the
caſe if the men were not uncommonly expert z
but the Canadians are the moſt dexterous
people perhaps in the world at the manage-
ment of bateaux in rapid rivers. After ſuch a
proſpe&t of the River St. Lawrence, it was
not-without aſtoniſhment that on approaching

X 2 the

I
3
2

'F| = — A. a =_ MTN LTP £A Y
Y oo” Ca IF eds T's 1
9 _— — Salts. 9 u \ 4 =
U 4 _

308 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

the town of Montreal we beheld ſhips of up-
wards of four hundred tons burthen lying cloſe
to the ſhore. The difficulties which veſſels
have to encounter in getting to Montreal are
immenſe; I have myſelf ſeen them with all
their fails ſet, and with a ſmart and favourable
breeze, ſtationary for an hour together in the
ſtream, unable to ſtem it, between the iſland
of St. Helene-and the main land, juſt below
the town: to ſtem the current at this place
it is almoſt neceſſary that the veſſel ſhould be
aided by a ſtorm. The aſcent is equally diffi-
cult in ſeveral other parts of the river. Ow-
ing to this it is, that the paſſage from Quebec
to Montreal is generally more tedious than
that acroſs the Atlantic; thoſe ſhips, there-
fore, which trade between Europe and Mont-
real, never attempt to make more than one

voyage during the year. Notwithſtanding the

rapidity of the ſtream, the channel of the river

is very deep, and in particular juſt oppoſite

to the town. The largeſt merchant veſſels
can there lie ſo cloſe to the banks, which are
in their natural ſtate, that you may nearly
touch them with your hand as you ſtand on

the ſhore.

IL 309 I

LETTER XXII.

Deſcription of the Town of © Montreal.=Of the
public Buildings. — Churches. Funeral Ce-
remonies.—Convents,— Barracks.— Fortifi-
cattons.—Tnhabitants moſtly 'French.—T hetr |
Character and Manners.—Charming Pro- |
pets in the Neighbourhood of the Toun.— |
Amuſements during Summer. — Parties of ; |
Pleaſure up the Mountam.—Of the Fur Bl!
Trade.—The Manner in which it is carried —_
on,—Great Enterpriſe of the North Weſt
Company of Merchants, —Sketch of Mr.

M*Kenzie's Expeditions over Land to the |

. Pacific Ocean.— Differences between the *
North Weſt and Hudſon's Bay Companies. | |

Montreal, July.
HE town of Montreal was laid out pur-
ſuant to the orders of one of the kings
of France, which were, that a town ſhould be
built as high up on the St. Lawrence as it
were poſſible for veſſels to go by ſea. In fixing
upon the ſpot where it ſtands, his commands
were complied with in the ſtricteſt ſenſe.
The town at preſent contains about twelve
hundred houſes, © whereof five hundred only
are within - the walls; the reſt are in the
ſuburbs, which commence from the north,
p 3 , eaſt,

.
& To. FT ns

„no . TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

eaſt, and weſt gates. The houſes in the ſuburbs -
are moſtly built of wood, but the others are
all of ſtone; none of them are elegant, but
there are many very comfortable habitations.
In the lower part of the town, towards the
river, where moſt of the ſhops ſtand, they
have a very gloomy. appearance, and look like
ſo many priſons, being all furniſhed at the

outſide with ſheet iron ſhutters to the doors

and windows, which are regularly cloſed to-
wards evening, in order to guard againſt fire,
The town has ſuffered by fire very materially
at different times, and the inhabitants have
ſuch a dread of it, that all who can afford it
cover the roofs of their houſes with tin- plates
inſtead of ſhingles. By law they are obliged
to have one or more ladders, in proportion to
the ſize of the houſe, always ready on the
roofs,

The ſtreets are all very narrow z three of
them run paralle] to the river, and theſe arc

interſected by others at right angles, but not

at regular diſtances. On the ſide of the
town fartheſt from the river, and nearly
between the northern and ſouthern extremi-
ties, there is a ſtall ſquare, called La Place
d'Armes, which ſeems originally to have been
left open to the walls on one fide, and to
have been intended for the military to exerciſe
in; the troops, however, never make uſe of it

now,

now, but parade on a long walk, behind the
walls, nearer to the barracks. On the oppoſite
ſide of the town, towards the water, is another
{mall ſquare, where the market is held.
There are fix churches. in Montreal ; one
for Engliſh Epiſcopalians, one for Preſbyteri-
ans, and four for Roman Catholics. The
cathedral church belonging to the latter,
which occupies one fide of La Place d'Armes,
is a very ſpacious building, and contains five
altars, all very richly decorated. The doors
of this cathedral are left open the greater part
of the day, and there are, generally, numbers
of old people in it at their prayers, even when
no regular ſervice is going on. On a fine Sun-
day in the ſummer: ſeaſon ſuch multitudes
flock to it, that even the ſteps at the outſide
are covered with people, who, unable to get in,
remain there kneeling with their hats off dur-
ing the whole time of divine fervice. Nearly
all the chriſtenings, marriages, and burials of
the Roman Catholic inhabitants of Montreal
are performed in this church, on which oc-
cations, as well as before and during the
maſſes, they always ring the bells, to the great
annoyance of every perſon that is not a lover
of diſcords; for inſtead of pulling the bells,
which are five in number, and really well
toned, with regularity, they jingle them all at
ence, without any ſort of cadence whatever.
X 4 Our

u GN TIA js:

31 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

Our lodgings happened to be in La Place
d'Armes; and during three weeks that we
remained-there, I verily believe the bells were
never ſuffered to remain. ſtill for two hours
together, at any one time, except in the
night.

| The funerals, as in other Roman Catholic
countries, are conducted with great ceremony ;
the corple is always attended to the church
by.a number of prieſts chanting prayers, and
by little boys in white robes and black caps
carrying wax lights. A morning ſcarcely
ever paſſed over that one or more of. theſe
proceſſions did not paſs under our windows
whilſt we were at breakfaſt; for on the op-
polite fide of the ſquare to that on which
the cathedral ſtood, was a ſort of chapel, to
which the bodies of all thoſe perſons, whoſe
friends could not afford to pay for an expenſive
funeral, were brought, I ſuppoſe, in the night,
for we could never ſee any carried in there,
and from thence conveyed in the morning to
the cathedral. If the prieſts are paid for it
they go to. the houſe of the deceaſed, though
it be ever ſo far diſtant, and eſcort the corpſe
to the church. Until within a few years paſt
it was cuſtomary to bury all the bodies in the
vaults underneath the cathedral ; but now it
Is prohibited, leſt ſome putrid diſorder ſhould
break out in the town in conſequence of ſuch
numbers

MONT R E A L. 313

numbers being depoſited there. The burying
grounds are all without the walls at preſent.

There ane in Montreal four convents, one
of which is of the order of St. Francis ; the
number of the friars, however, is reduced now
to two or three, and as by the laws of the
province men can no longer enter into' any
religious order, it will of courſe-in a few years
dwindle entirely away. On the female orders.
there is no reſtriction, and they are ſtill well
filled. - The Hotel Dieu, founded as early as
1644, for the relief of the fick poor, and
which 1s the oldeſt of the convents, contains
thirty “ religieuſes '—nuns; La Congrega-
tion de Notre Dame, inſtituted for, the in-
ſtruction of young girls, contains fifty-ſeven
ſœurs, another fort of nuns; and L'Hoſpital
Generale, for the accommodation of the infirm
poor, contains eighteen ſœurs.

The barracks are agreeably ſituated near
the river, at the lower end of the town ; they
are ſurrounded by a lofty wall, and calculated
to contain about-three hundred men.

The walls round the town are mouldering
away very faſt, and in ſome places are totally
in ruins; the gates, however, remain quite
perfect. The walls were built principally as
a defence againſt the Indians, by whom the
country was thickly inhabited when Montreal
was founded, and they were found neceſſary,

34 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

to repel the open attacks of theſe people as
late as the year 1736. When the large fairs
uſed to be held in Montreal, to which the
Indians from all parts reſorted with their furs,
they were alſo found extremely uſeful, as the
inhabitants were thereby enabled to ſhut out
the Indians at night, who, had they been ſuf-
fered to remain in the town, addicted as they

4 are to drinking, might have been tempted to
1 commit great outrages, and would have kept
I the inhabitants in a continual ſtate of alarm,
2 In their beſt ſtate the walls could not have

protected the town againſt cannon, not even
againſt a fix pounder; nor, indeed, would the
{ſtrongeſt walls be of any uſe in defending it
againſt artillery, as it is completely command-
ed by the eminences in the iſland of St. He-
lene *, in the River St. Lawrence. Montreal
has always been an eaſy conqueſt to regular
troops.

By far the greater number of the inhabit-

ants of Montreal are of French extraction;
all the eminent merchants, however, and

principal people in the town, are either Eng-
liſh, Scotch, Irith, or their deſcendants, all of
whom paſs for Engliſh with the French in-
habitants. The French retain, in a great

* This ifland was the laſt place which the French ſurren-
dered to the Britiſh.

meaſure,

MONT RR A L. 315

meaſure, the manners and cuſtoms of their
anceſtors, as well as the language; they have
an unconquerable averſion to learn Engliſh,
and it is very rare to meet with any perſon
amongſt them that can ſpeak it in any man-
ner; but the Engliſh inhabitants are, for the
moſt part, well acquainted with the French
language.

The people of Montreal, in 3 are re-
markably hoſpitable and attentive to ſtrangers;
they are ſociable alſo amongſt themſelves, and
fond in the extreme of convivial amuſements.
in winter, they keep up ſuch a conſtant and
friendly intercourſe with each other, that it
ſeems then as if the town were inhabited but
by one large family. - During ſummer they
live ſomewhat more retired ; but throughout
that ſeaſon a club, formed of all the principal
inhabitants, both male and female, meet every
week or fortnight, for the purpoſe of dining at
ſome agreeable ſpot in the neighbourhood of
the town.

The iſland of Montreal is about twenty-
eight miles in length and ten in breadth; it
is the largeſt of ſeveral iſlands which are
ſituated in the St. Lawrence, at the mouth of
the Utawa River. Its foil is luxuriant, and
in ſome parts much cultivated and thickly in-
habited. It is agreeably diverſified with hill

and dale, and towards its center, in the neigh-
+ bourhood

"UE obo Sa: I = 20 TH UC, 5 * — " = r e . e
* een * re Fn 8 N .: « 1 9 „ * NPI kn = —_— 9 LETT _ | FT N PLAST FL * 1 D =.
8 C „ - - = * JM i; ——_ V8 - o 1 n N 6 4 F a> 42 p
* . I FRI "4 i ” LIT ro - - — WA - = * Y * 5 = ar 0 > RI «
bel... SH Mu 3 5 9 n TL.” 11 — e
. * by N = * - Tp ACE F - ——
a _ n 5 - 4
* ö * = 1 2 A d - N 5 * =. 5 3 — a o I \ |
_ 2 = 12

_— —
1 2
ö

316 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :
bourhood of Montreal, there are two or three

- conſiderable mountains. The largeſt of theſe

ſtands at the diſtance of about one mile from
the town, which is named from it. The baſe
of this mountain is ſurrounded with neat
country houſes and gardens, and partial, im-
provements have been made about one third
of the way up; the remainder is: entirely
covered with lofty trees. On that fide to-
wards the river is a large old monaſtery, with
extenſive incloſures walled in, round which
the ground has been cleared for ſome diſtance.
This open part is covered with a rich ver-
dure, and the woods encircling it, inſtead of
being overrun with bruſhwood, are quite clear
at bottom, ſo that you may here roam about at
pleaſure for miles together, thaded, by the lofty
trees, from the rays of the ſun.

The view from hence is grand beyond
deſcription. A prodigious expanſe of country
is laid open to the eye, with the noble river St.
Lawrence winding through it, which may be
traced from the remoteſt part of the horizon.
The river comes from the right, and flows
{moothly on after paſſing down the tremen-
dous rapids above the town, where it 1s
hurried over huge rocks with a noiſe that is
heard even up the mountain. On the lett
below you appears the town of Montreal,

with its churches, monaſteries, glittering
ſpires,

F UR T R A D E. 317

ſpires, and the ſhipping under its old walls ;
ſeveral little iflands in the river near the town,
partly improved, partly overgrown with wood,
add greatly to the beauty of the ſcene. La
Prarie with its large church on the diſtant ſide
of the river, is ſeen to the greateſt advantage,
and beyond it is a range of lofty mountains
which terminates the proſpect. Such an
endleſs variety and ſuch a grandeur is there in
the view-from this part of the mountain, that
even thoſe who are moſt habituated to the
view always find it a freſh ſubject of admira-
tion whenever they contemplate it; and on this
part of the mountain it is that the club which
I mentioned generally afſembles. Two ſte-
wards are appointed for the day, who always
chuſe ſome new ſpot where there is a ſpring
or rill of water, and an agreeable ſhade: each
family brings cold proviſions, wine, &c. ; the
whole is put together, and the company, often
amounting to one hundred perſons, fits down
to dinner.

The fur trade is what is chiefly carried on
at Montreal, and it is there that the greater
part of the furs are ſhipped, which are ſent
from Canada to England.

This very lucrative trade is carried on, oartly
by what is called the North Weſt Company,
and partly by private individuals on their own

account. The company does not poſſeſs any
3 particular

318 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

particular privileges by law, but from its great
capital merely it is enabled to trade to certain
remote parts of the continent, to the excluſion
of thoſe who do not hold any ſhares in it. It
was formed originally by the merchants of
Montreal themſelves, who wiſely confidered
that the trade could be carried on to thoſe
diſtant parts.of the continent, inhabited ſolely
by Indians, with more ſecurity and' greater
profit, if they joined together in a body, than
if they continued to trade ſeparately. The
ſtock of the company was divided into forty
ſhares, and as the number of merchants in the
town at that time was not very great, this
arrangement aftorded an opportunity to every
one of them to join in the company if he
thought proper. At preſent theſe ſhares have
all fallen into the hands of a few perſons.
The company principally carries on its trade
by means of the Utawas or Grand River, that
falls into the St. Lawrence about thirty miles
above Montreal, and which forms, by its con-
fluence with that river, Le Lac de Deux
Montagnes et le Lac St. Louis,” —the lake of
the Two Mountains and the Lake of St. Louis,
wherein are ſeveral large iſlands. To convey
the furs down this river, they make uſe of
canoes, formed of the bark of the birch tree,
ſome of which are upon ſuch a large ſcale

that they are capable of containing two tons,
| by.

CANOE S. 319

but they ſeldom put ſo much in them, eſpe-

cially on this river, it being in many places

ſhallow, rapid, and full of rocks, and contains
no leſs than thirty-two portages.

The canoes are navigated by the French
Canadians, who are particularly fond of the
employment, preferring it in general to that

of cultivating the ground. A fleet of them

ſets off from Montreal about the month of
May, laden with proviſions, conſiſting chiefly
of biſcuit and ſalt pork, ſufficient to laſt the
crews till their return, and alfo with the arti-
cles given in barter to the Indians. At fome
of the ſhallow places in the river, it is ſuffi-
cient if the men merely get out of the canoes,
and puſh them on into the deep water; but
at others, where there are dangerous rapids

and ſharp rocks, is it neceſſary for the men to
unlade the canoes, and carry both them and the

cargoes on their ſhoulders, till they come
again to a ſafe part of the river. At night
they drag the canoes upon ſhore, light a fire,
cook their proviſions for the following day, and
leep upon the ground wrapped up in their
blankets. If it happens to rain very hard,
they ſometimes ſhelter themſelves with boughs
of trees, but in general they remain under the
canopy of heaven, without any covering but
their blankets : they copy exactly the Indian
mode of life on theſe occaſions, and many of

them

320 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

them even wear the Indian dreſſes, which they
find more convenient than their own

Having aſcended the Utawas River for
about two hundred and eighty miles, which it
takes them about eighteen days to perform,
they then croſs by a portage into Lake Niſ-
pifling, and from this lake by another portage
they get upon French River, that falls into
Lake Huron on the north-eaſt fide; then
coaſting along this laſt lake they paſs through
the Straits of St. Mary, where there is ano-
ther portage into Lake Superior; and coaſt.
ing afterwards along the ſhores of Lake Su-
perior, they come to the Grand Portage on
the north-weſt ſide of it; from hence by a
chain of ſmall lakes and rivers they proceed on
to the Rainy Lake, to the Lake of the Woods,
and for hundreds of miles beyond it, through

Lake Winnipeg, &c.

The canoes, however, which go ſo far up
the country, never return the ſame year;
thoſe intended to bring back cargoes imme-
diately, ſtop at the Grand Portage, where the
furs are collected ready for them by the agents
of the company. The furs are made up in
packs of a certain weight, and a particular
number is put into each canoe. By knowing
thus the exact weight of every pack, there can
be no embezzlement; and at the portages

there is no time waſted in allotting to each
| man

3 ©*

M*KENZ1IE'S EXPEDITIONS. 32

man his load, every one being obliged to carry
ſo many packs.

At the Grand Portage, and along that im-
menſe chain of lakes and rivers, which extend
beyond Lake Superior, the company has re-
gular poſts, where the agents reſide; and with
ſuch aſtoniſhing enterprize and induſtry have
the affairs of this company been carried on,
that trading poſts are now eſtabliſhed within
five hundred miles of the Pacific Ocean. One

. gentleman, indeed, a partner in the houſe at

Montreal, which now holds the greateſt part
of the ſhares of the-company, has even pene-
trated to the Pacific Ocean itſelf. The jour-
nal kept by this gentleman upon the expedi-
tion is, it is ſaid, teplete with information of
the moſt intereſting nature. That it has not
been laid before the public long ago, toge=

ther with an accurate map of his track, is to

be imputed ſolely to an unfortunate miſunder-

ſtanding which took place between him and
a noble lord high in the confidence of go-
vernment,

In the firſt attempt which this adventurous
gentleman, a Mr. M*Kenzie,. made to pene-
trate to the ocean, he ſet out carly in the

ſpring from the remoteſt of the poſts belong-

ing to the company. He took with him a
fngle canoe, and a party of choſen men ; and
after paſſing over prodigious tracts of land,

\ '/ "Why Y never

322 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

never before traverſed by any white perſon,
at laſt came to a large river. Here the canoe,
which was carried by the men on their
ſhoulders, was launched, and having all em-
barked, they proceeded down the ſtream.
From the courie this river took for a very
great diſtance, Mr. M<Kenzie was led to ima-
gine that it was one of thoſe rivers he was
in queſt of; namely, one which emptied itſelf
into the Pacific Ocean; but at the end of
ſeveral weeks, during which they had worked
their way downward with great eagerneſs, he
was convinced, from the gradual inclination of
the river towards another quarter, that he
muſt have been miſtaken ; and that it was
one of thoſe immenſe rivers, ſo numerous on
the continent of North America, that ran into
Baffin's Bay, or the Arctic Ocean.

The party was now in a very critical ſitu-
ation; the ſeaſon was far advanced, and the
length of way which they had to return was
prodigious. If they attempted to go back, and
were overtaken by winter, they muſt in all
probability periſh tor want of proviſions in an
uninhabited country ; if, on the contrary, they
made up their minds to ſpend the winter
where they were, they had no time to loſe 1n
building huts, and going out to hunt and fiſh,
that they might have ſufficient ſtores to ſup-

port them through that dreary ſeaſon. Mr.
McKenzie

M. KENZIES EXPEDITIONS. 323

M Kenzie repreſented the matter, in the moſt
open terms, to his men, and left it to them-
ſelves to determine the part they would take.
The men were for going back at all hazards;
and the reſult was, that they reached their
friends in ſafety. The difficulties they had to
contend with, and the exertions they made in
returning, were almoſt ſurpaſſing belief.

The ſecond expedition entered upon by
Mr. M<Kenzie, and which ſucceeded to his
wiſhes, was undertaken about three years ago.
He ſet out in the ſame manner, but well pro-
vided with ſeveral different things, which he
found the want of in the firſt expedition, He
was extremely well furniſhed this time with
aſtronomical inſtruments, and in particular
with a good time-piece, that he procured from
London. He took a courſe ſomewhat dif-
ferent from the firſt, and paſſed through many
nations of Indians who had never before ſeen
the face of a white man, amongſt ſome of
hom he was for a time in imminent danger;
but he found means at laſt to conciliate their
good will. From ſome of thefe Indians he
learned, that there was a ridge of mountains
ata little diſtance, beyond which the rivers all
ran in a weſtern direction. Having engaged
ſome of them therefore for guides, he pro-
ceeded according to their directions until he
came to the mountains, and after aſcending

45 | them

324 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

them with prodigious labour, found, to his great
ſatis faction, that the account the Indians had
given was true, and that the rivers on the op-
poſite ſide did indeed all run to the weſt. He
followed the courſe of one of them, and finally
came to the Pacific Ocean, not far from Nootka
Sound.

Here he was given to underſtand by the na-
tives, and their account was confirmed by the
fight of ſome little articles they had amongſt
them, that an Engliſh veſſel had quitted the
coaſt only ſix weeks before. This was a great
mottification to Mr. M Kenzie; for had there
been a ſhip on the coaſt, he would moſt gladly
have embarked in it rather than encounter the
ſame difficulties, and be expoſed to the ſame
perils, which he had experienced in getting
there; however there was no alternative ; he
ſet out after a ſhort time on his journey back
again, and having found his canoe quite ſafe
under ſome buſhes, near the head of the river,
where he had hid it, together with ſome pro-
viſions, Teſt on going down to the coaft the
natives might have proved unfriendly, and
have cut off his retreat by ſeizing upon it, he
finally arrived at one of the trading poſts in
ſecurity. When I was at Montreal Mr.
M<Kenzie was not there, and I never had an
opportunity of ſeeing him afterwards. What
I have here related reſpecting his two expe-
4 ditions

HUDSON BAY. 325

ditions is the ſubſtance, to the beſt of my re-
collection, of what I heard from his partners.

Many other individuals belonging to the
North Weſt Company, before Mr. M*Kenzie
ſet out, penetrated far into the country in dif-
ferent directions, and much beyond what any
perſon had done before them, in order to eſta-
bliſh poſts. In ſome of theſe excurſions they
fell in with theagents of the Hudſon Bay Com-
pany, who were alſo extending their poſts from
another quarter: this unexpected meeting be-
tween the two companies, at one time gave
riſe to ſome very unpleaſant altercations, and
the Hudſon Bay Company threatened the other
with an immediate proſecution for an infringe-
ment of its charter.

By its charter, it ſeems, the Hudſon Bay
Company was allowed the excluſive privilege
of trading to the Bay, and along all the rivers
and waters connected with it. This charter,
however, was granted at a time when the nor-
thern parts of the continent were much leſs
known than they are now, for to have the ex-
cluſive trade along all the waters connected
with Hudſon Bay was, literally ſpeaking, to
have the excluſive trade of the greater part of
the continent of North America. Hudſon Bay,
by a variety of rivers and lakes, is cloſely con-
nected with Lake Superior, and from that
chain of lakes, of which Lake Superior is one,

do: there

325 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

there is a water communication throughout all
Canada, and a very great part of the United
States; however, when the agents of the
North-weſt Company were fixing trading
poſts upon ſome rivers which ran immediately
into Hudſon's Bay, it undoubtedly appeared to
be an infringement of the charter, and fo in-
deed it mult ſtrictly have been, had not the
Hudſon's Bay Company itſelf infringed its own
charter in the firſt inſtance, or at leaſt neg-
lected to comply with all the ſtipulations
contained therein. A clauſe ſeems to have
been in the charter, which, at the ſame time
that it granted to the company the excluſive
privilege of trading to Hudſon's Bay, and
along all the waters connected with it, bound
it to erect a new poſt twelve miles farther to
the weſtward every year, otherwiſe the char-
ter was to become void. This had not been
done; the North-weſt Company therefore
reſted perfectly eaſy about the menaces of a
proſecution, ſatisfied that the other company
did not in fact legally poſſeſs thoſe privileges
to which it laid claim.

The Hudſon's Bay Company, though it
threatened, never indeed attempted to put its
threats into execution, well knowing the weak-
neſs of its cauſe, but continued nevertheleſs to
watch the motions of its rival with a moſt
jealous eye; and as in extending their reſpec-

tive

TRADING COMPANIES. 327

tive trades, the poſts of the two companies
were approximating nearer and nearer to each
other every year, there was great reaſon to
imagine that their differences, inſtead of abat-
ing, would become ſtill greater than they were,
and finally, perhaps, lead to' conſequences of
the moſt ſerious nature. A circumſtance,
however, unexpectedly took place, at a time
when the greateſt enmity ſubſiſted between the
parties, which happily reconciled them to
each other, and terminated all their diſputes.
A very powerful nation of Indians, called
the Aſſiniboins, who inhabit an extended tract
of country to the ſouth-weſt of Lake Winni-
peg, conceiving that the Hudſon's Bay Com-
pany had encroached unreaſonably upon their
territories, and had otherwiſe maltreated a part
of their tribe, formed the reſolution of inſtantly
deſtroying a poſt eitabliſhed by that company
in their neighbourhood. A large body of them
ſoon collected together, and breathing the
fierceſt ſpirit of revenge, marched unperceived
and unſuſpected by the party againſt whom
their expedition was planned, till within a ſhort
diſtance of their poſt. Here they halted ac-
cording to cuſtom, waiting only for a favour-
able moment to pounce upon their prey. Some
ot the agents of the North-weſt Company,
however, who were ſcattered about this part of
the country, fortunately got intelligence of their

Y 4 | deſign.

323 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

deſign. They knew the weakneſs of the place
about to be attacked, and forgetting the rival-
ſhip ſubſiſting between them, and thinking on-
ly how to ſave their countrymen, they imme-
diately diſpatched a meſſenger to give the party
notice of the aſſault that was meditated ; they
at the ſame time ſent another meſſenger to
one of their own poſts, deſiring that inſtant
ſuccour might be ſent to that belonging to the
Hudſon Bay Company, which the Indians
were about to plunder. The detachment ar-
rived before the attack commenced, and the
Indians were repulſed; but had it not been for
the timely aſſiſtance their rivals had afforded,
the Hudſon Bay people were fully perſuaded
that they muſt have fallen victims to the fury
of the Indians.

This, fignal piece of ſervice was not under-
valued or forgotten by thoſe who had been
ſaved; and as the North-weſt Company was
ſo much ftronger, and on ſo much better terms
with the Indians in this part of the country
than its rivals, it now evidently appeared to be
the intereſt of the latter to have the poſts of the
North-weſt Company eſtabliſhed as near its
own as poſſible. This is accordingly done for
their mutual ſafety, and the two companies are
now on the molt friendly terms, and continue
to carry on their trade cloſe to each other.

About two thouſand men are employed by
the

FUR TRADE. 329

the North-weſt Company in their poſts in the
upper country. Thoſe who are ſtationed at
the remote trading poſts lead a very ſavage
life, but little better indeed than that of In-
dians: ſome of them remain far up in the
country for four or five years together. The
head clerk or principal agent generally marries
an Indian girl, the daughter of ſome eminent
chief, by which he gains in a peculiar manner
the affections of the whole tribe, a matter of
great importance. Theſe marriages, as may bo
ſuppoſed, are not conſidered as very binding
by the huſband; but that is nothing in the
opinion of an Indian chief, who readily brings
his ſiſter or daughter to you; at the ſame time
he can only be appeaſed by blood if a perſon
attempts to take any improper liberties with
his wife. Amongſt no people are the wives
more chaſte, or more devoted to their huſ-
bands.

Beſides the furs and pelts conveyed down
to Montreal from the north-weſtern parts
of the continent, by means of the Utawas
River, there are large quantities alſo brought
there acrols the lakes, and down the River St.
Lawrence. Theſe are collected at the various
towns and poſts along the Lakes Huron, Erie,
and Ontario, where the trade is open to all
parties, the ſeveral poſts being protected by
regular troops, at the expence of the govern-

ment.

LY =» —_— I LEA
E178 2016 REES 1
Sj — TT LC _ \
8 * CONE 1 2 _—_
ITS ay x ' =

330 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA.

ment. Added likewiſe to what are thus col.
lected by the agents of the company, and of

private merchants, there are confiderable quan-
tities brought down to Montreal for fale by

traders, on their own account. Some of theſe
traders come from parts as remote as the Illi-

nois Country, bordering on the Miſſiſſippi,

They aſcend the Miſſiſſippi as far as Oniſconſ-

ing River, and from that by a portage of three
miles get upon Fox River, which falls into
Lake Michigan. In the fall of the year, as!
have before mentioned, theſe two rivers over-
flow, and it is then ſometimes practicable to
paſs in a light canoe from one river to the other,
without any portage whatſoever. From Lake
Michigan they get upon Lake Huron, after-
wards upon Lake Erie, and ſo on to the St.
Lawrence. Before the month of September is
over, the furs are all brought down to Mon-
treal ; as they arrive they are immediately
ſhipped, and the veſſels diſpatched in Octo-
ber, beyond which month it would be dan-
gerous for them to remain in the river on ac-
count of the ſetting in of winter.

Furs are alſo ſhipped in conſiderable quan-
tities at Quebec, and at the town of Trois
Rivieres. Theſe furs are brought down the
rivers that fall into the St. Lawrence, on the
north fide, by Indians:

LET TEN XX

Voyage to Quebec down the St. Lawrence, —A
Bateau preferable to a Keel Boat.—Town of
Sorelle. — Ship-build;ng there. — Deſcription
of Lake St. Pterre,— Baliſcon.— Charming
Scenery along the Banks of St. Lawrence.—
In what reſpecis it differs from the Scenery
along any other River in America.—Canadian
Houſes. —Sketch of the Character and man-
ners of the lower Claſſes of Canadians —T heir
Superſtition, — Anecdote.— St. Auguſtin Cal.
vaire. Arrive at Quebec.

Quebec, Auguſt.

E remained in Montreal until the firſt
day of Auguſt, when we ſet off in a ba-
teau for Quebec, about one hundred and fixty
mules lower down the St. Lawrence. A bateau
is a particular kind of boat, very generally uſed
upon the large rivers and lakes in Canada,
The bottom of it is perfectly flat, and each end
is built very ſharp, and exactly alike. The
ſides are about four feet high, and for the con-
venience of the rowers, four or five benches are
laid acroſs, ſometimes more, according to the
length of the bateau. It is a very heavy awk-
ward fort of veſſel, either for rowing or failing,
but

332 TRAVELS FHROUGH LOWER CANADA:

but it is preferred to a boat with a keel for two
very obvious reaſons; firſt, becauſe it draws
leſs water, at the fame time that it carries a larger
burthen; and ſecondly, becautc it is much
fafer on lakes or wide rivers, where ſtorms are
frequent: a proof of this came under our ob-
tervation the day of our leaving Montreal. We
had reached a wide part of the river, and were
falling along with a favourable wind, when
ſuddenly the horizon grew very dark, and a
dreadful ſtorm aroſe, accompanied with loud
peals of thunder and torrents of rain. Before
the ſail could be taken in, the ropes which held
it were ſnapped in pieces, and the waves began
to daſh over the ſides of the bateau, though
the water had been quite ſmooth five minutes
before. It was impoſſible now to counteract
the force of the wind with oars, and the bateau
was conſequently driven on ſhore, but the bot-
tom of it being quite flat, it was carried
finoothly upon the beach without ſuſtaining
any injury, and the men leaping out drew it
up on dry land, where we remained out of all
danger till the ſtorm was over. A keel boat,
however, of the ſame ſize, could not have ap-
proached nearer to the ſhore than thirty feet,
and there it would have ſtack faſt in the fand,
and probably have been filled with water, From
being fitted up as it was, our bateau proved
to be a very pleaſant conveyance 2 it was one of
1 a large

0 ER 1 up
a large fize, and over the wideſt part of it an
oilcloth awning was thrown, ſupported by
hoops ſimilar to the roof of a waggon: thus a
moſt excellent cabin was formed, large enough
to contain half a dozen chairs and a table, and
which, at the ſame time that it afforded ſhelter
from the inclemency of the weather, was airy,
and ſufficiently open to let us ſee all the beau-
ties cf the proſpet on each ſhore to the
oreateſt advantage. |
It was about eleven o'clock in the morning
when we left Montreal, and at five in the
afternoon we reached the town of Sorelle,
fifteen leagues diſtant. The current is very
ſtrong the whole way between the two 51 51
Sorelle ſtands at the mouth of the river of the
ſame name, which runs from Lake Champlain
into the St. Lawrence. It was laid out about the
year 1787, and on an extenſive plan, with very
wide ſtreets and a large ſquare, but at preſent
it contains only one hundred houſes, are all
very indifferent, and. ſtanding widely aſunder.
This is the only town on the St. Lawrence,
between Montreal and Quebec, wherein, Eng-
liſh is the predominant language. The inha-
bitants conſiſt principally of loyaliſts from the
United States, who took refuge in Canada.
The chief buſineſs carried on hd is that of
ſhip-building; there are ſeveral veſſels annually

Lunched from fifty to two hundred tons bur-
then ;

344 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

then; theſe are floated down to Quebec, and
there rigged. Ship-building is not carried on
to ſo much advantage in Canada as might be
imagined, all the bolts and other articles of
iron, the blocks, and the cordage, being im-
ported; ſo that what is gained by having ex-
cellent timber cn the ſpot is loſt in bringing
over theſe different articles, which are fo
bulky, from Europe. The river of Sorelle is
deep at the mouth, and affords good ſhelter for
ſhips from the ice, at the breaking up of win-
ter: it is not navigable far beyond the town,
even in boats, on account of the rapids.
The next morning we left Sorelle, beyond
which place the St. Lawrence expands to a
great breadth. Here it abounds with ſmall
iſlands, ſituated ſo cloſely to each other, that
it 1s impoſſible to think without aſtoniſhment
of large veſſels, like thoſe that go to Montreal,
paſſing between them: the channel through
them is very intricate. This wide- part of
the river is called Lac St. Pierre; the greateſt
breadth of it is about four leagues and a half,
and its length from the iſlands at the head of
the lake downwards about eight leagues.
From hence to Quebec the river is in no place
more than two miles acroſs, and in ſome parts
it narrows to the breadth of three quarters of
a mile. The tide ebbs and flows in the river
within a few leagues of Lac St. Pierre; the

great

great expanſion of the water at the lake, and
the ſtrong current which ſets out from it, pre-
vents its action higher up. |
From Montreal as far as the town of Trois
Rivieres, which ſtands about four leagues
below Lac St. Pierre, the ſhores on each fide
of the St. Lawrence are very flat; the land
then begins to riſe, and on the ſouth-eaſt ſide
it continues lofty the whole way down to
Quebec. On the oppoſite fide, however, be-
low Trois Rivieres, the banks vary conſider-
ably ; in ſome places they are high, in others
very low, until you approach within a few
leagues of Quebec, when they aſſume a bold
and grand appearance on each ſide. The ſce-
nery along various parts of the river is very
fine: it is impoſſible, indeed, but. that there
muſt be a variety of pleaſing views along a
noble river like the St. Lawrence, winding for
hundreds of miles through a rich country, di-
verſified with riſing grounds, woodlands, and
cultivated plains. What particularly attracts
the attention, however, in going down this
river, is, the beautiful diſpottion of the towns
and villages on its banks. Nearly all the ſet-
tlements in Lower Canada are ſituated cloſe
upon the borders of the rivers, and from this
circumſtance the ſcenery along the St. Law-
rence and others differs materially from that
along the rivers in the United States. * The
\ banks

$36 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA: ,

banks of the Hudſon' river, which are more
cultivated than thoſe of any of the other large
rivers there, are wild and deſolate in compa-
riſon with thoſe of the St. Lawrence. For
ſeveral leagues below Montreal the- houſes
ſtand fo cloſely together, that it appears as
if it were but one village, which extended
the whole way. All the houſes have a re-
markably neat appearance at a diſtance z and
in each village, though it be ever ſo ſmall,
there is a church. The churches are kept in
the neateſt repair, and moft of them have
ſpires, covered, according to the cuſtom of
the country, with tin, that, from being put
on in a particular manner, never becomes
ruſty *, It is pleaing beyond deſcription to
behold one of theſe villages opening to the
view, as you fail round a point of land. covered
with trees, the houſes in it overhanging the
river, and the ſpires of the churches ſparkling
through the groves with which they are en-
circled, before the rays of the ſetting ſun.

There is ſcarcely any part, of the river,
where you paſs along, for more than a league,
without ſecing a village and church.

The ſecond night of our voyage we landed

The ſquare plates of tin are nailed on diagonally, and the
corners are Carefully folded over the heads of the nails, ſo as
to prevent any moiſture from getting to them. a

Dressed 337

at the village of Batiſcon. It ſtands on the
north-weſt fide of the river, about eighty
miles below Montreal. Here the ſhore is
very flat and marihy; and for a conſiderable
diſtance from it the water is ſo ſhallow when
the tide 1s out, that a bateau even; cannot at
that time come. within one hundred yards of
the dry ground. Lower down the river the
ſhore is in ſome places extremely roeky.

The firſt habitation we came to at Batiſcon
was a farm houſe, where we readily got ac-
commodation for the night. The people
were extremely civil, and did all in their power
to ſerve us. A ſmall table was quickly ſet
out, covered with a neat white table cloth,
and bread, milk, eggs, and butter, the beſt
fare which the houſe afforded, were' brought
to us. Theſe things may always be had in
abundance at every farm houſe; but it is not
often that you can procure meat of any ſort ;
in going through Canada, therefore, it is
cuſtomary for travellers to carry a proviſion
baſket with them. The houſes: in Lower
Canada are in general well furniſhed with
beds, all in the French ſtyle, very large, and
raiſed four or five feet high, with a paillaſſe,
a mattraſs, and a feather bed.

The houſes for the moſt part are built of
logs; but they are much more compact and

better built than thoſe in the United States;

For. 2 the

: J
"a

- E g —
= - 5 #7 os "= 4d . W ry
. N y 4 * of * 5

- * TH

338 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

the logs are made to fit more cloſely toge-
ther, and inſtead of being left rough and un-
even on the outſide, are planed and white
waſhed. At the inſide alſo the walls are
generally lined with deal boards, whereas in
the United States the common log-houſes
are left as rough within as they are without;
One circumſtance, however, renders : the
Canadian houſes very difagreeable, and that
is the inattention of the inhabitants to air
them occaſionally by opening the windows, in
conſequence of which they have a cloſe
heavy ſmell within. doors. As we travelled
by land from Quebec to Montreal, we ſcarcely
obſerved ten houſes the whole way with the
windows open, notwithſtanding that the weas
ther was very warm. If you aſk the people
why they don't let a little freſh air into their
houſes, their conſtant anſwer is, as it is to all
queſtions of a fimilar tendency, Ce neſt
pas la maniere des habitans It is not the
cuſtom of the people of the country.

Some of the lower claſſes of the French
Canadians have all the gaiety and vivacity of
the people of France; they dance, they ſing,
and ſeem determined not to give way to care;
others, to appearance, have a great deal of
that ſullenneſs and bluntneſs in their manners
characteriſtic of the people of the United
States; vanity, however, is the aſcendant fea-

ture

SUPERSTITION: 439

turs in the character of all of them, and by
working upon that you -may make them do
what you pleaſe. Few of the men can read
or write; the little learning there is amongſt

the inhabitants is confined to the women:

a Canadian never makes a bargain, or takes

any ſtep of importance, without conſulting.

his wife, whoſe opinion is generally abided
by. Both men and women are ſunk in igno-
rance and ſuperſtition, and blindly devoted to
their prieſts. The following anecdote. may
ſerve to ſhew how much they are ſo.

On the evening before we reached Quebec,
we ſtopped at the village of St. Auguſtin Cal-
vaire, and after having ſtrolled about for ſome
time, returned to the farm-houſe where we

had taken up our quarters for the night. The

people had cooked ſome fiſh, that had been
juſt caught, while we had been walking
about, and every thing being ready on our re-
turn, we fat down to ſupper by the light of
a lamp, which was ſuſpended from the ceil-
ing. The glimmering light, however, that
it afforded, ſcarcely enabled us to ſee what
was on the table; we complained of it to the
man of the houſe, and the lamp was in con-
lequence trimmed; it was repleniſhed with
oil; taken down and ſet on the table; ſtill
the light was very bad. * Sacre Dieu!” ex-
claimed he, © but you ſhall not eat your fiſh

Z 2 « in

—

34 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

« in the dark;” ſo ſaying, he ſtepped aſide to
a ſmall cupboard, took out a candle, and hay-
ing lighted it, placed it beſide us. All was
now going on well, when the wife, who had
been abſent for a few minutes, ſuddenly re-
turning, poured forth a volley of the moſt
terrible execrations againſt her poor huſband
for having preſumed to have acted as he had
done. Unable to anſwer a ſingle word, the
E fellow ſtood aghaſt, ignorant of what he had
done to offend her; we were quite at a loſs
alſo to know what could have given riſe to
ſuch a ſudden ſtorm; the wife, however,
ſnatching up the candle, and haſtily extin-
guiſhing it, addreſſed us in a plaintive tone of
voice, and explained the whole affair. It was
the holy candle“ La chandelle benite,”
which her giddy huſband had ſet on the table;
it had been conſecrated at a neighbouring
church, and ſuppoſing there thould be a tem-
peſt at any time, with thunder and lightning
ever ſo terrible, yet if the candle were but
kept burning while it laſted, the houſe, the
barn, and every thing elſe belonging to it,
were to be ſecured from all danger. If any of
the family happened to be ſick, the candle was
to be lighted, and they were inſtantly to re-
cover, It had been given to her that morn-
ing by tlie prieſt of the village, with an aſſur-
ance that it poſſeſſed the miraculous power of

preſerving

OE LS ON EAR LR EY” RE. Q ——— = FLY = a Ra MR... EX. „ * 1 os =_ ERR. ac LS. 3.
= > Ip S841 CEPT ES CGR ME EET ROY 2. Y r * „ r 1 | 2 .
e * L * 1 * 9 1 we - ET 4 CRY = M 5 * 5 = ; bi G b :
. N | — ERS 0 FAT. \ * 24 1 9 5 by 4 1 "2 2 WENT 9 a 2 _— . N > AO [i k Bs * l G * } ,
V0 - "4 mr A 5 — f LI « \ SD. 4 ee Y - « N 5 k d « ;
A 8 4 " —_ , = 4 _ 9 r 0 DSC b — K
* bs Ts a On = = 2 wh DIC 1 F * Dy 1 " TY © of o UT - AL a Y
1 OT * . * * 8 N 3 1 TX} Re.
8 f I 5 4 * TRE *
w . — E _ — =

r
4 f d 1 *

Fug

15 6.
+» 4%, a

132 J

preſerving the family from harm, and ſhe was
confident that what he told her was true.
To have contradicted the poor woman would
have been uſeleſs; for the ſake of our ears,
however, we endeavoured to pacify her, and
that being accompliſhed, we fat down to ſup-
per, and e'en made the moſt of our fiſh in the
dark.

The village of St. Auguſtin Calvaire is
about five leagues from Quebec, at which laſt
place we arrived early on the next morning,
the fourth of our voyage. When the wind
is fair, and the tide favourable alſo, it does not
take more than two days to go from Montreal

to Quebec.

LETTER Xa

Situation of the City q Quebet.—Drvided into
Upper and Lower Town. —Deſeription of
each. Great Strength of the Upper Town.
— Some Obſervations on the Capturt” of Qut-
bec by the Engliſb Army under General Woalft.
— Obſervations on Montgomery's and Ar-
nold's Attack during the American War.
Cenſus of Inhabitants of Quebec.—The Cha-
teau, the Reſidence of tbe Governor.,—
Monaſtery of the Recollets, —College of the
Feſuits. One Feſuit remaining of great Age.

2 3 — His

* N
TR 2 .
5 2 9 b
”, I = 0 Kei — — *
may fg ——W . ͤ
1 ,

SS \ > 8 * 2 9 od = ho oh *
„ n 1 bh. = , l CE EST
bis LEAR, CEC = is
6 n ö p hs = 3 _ * =
A ww COW ' -Þ rap 4a . 18
* =
4 - 7 2 %

1 277 R

* _

a 7 a> .-
"=

Sgt oc» INI

Fg =
COR” JEST
1
. n
_ 5 112

% 7 NOK, 7v % Mid =
1 1 N
= rn N — . . 1 D To TO)
7 5 d | .M = 88 — A oO LE ** = 1 = d x
k b LM, GA) CN TER Z p
— 1 ve "Wa a a __ a „ , * N n
. 22 — N 42 e
n 2 CT > — *
5 * =
J

342 TRAVELS. THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

Hi great Wealth,—His Character
Nunneries, —Engineer's Drawing Room
State Houſe. — Armoury.— Barracks. Man
ket-place—Dogs uſed in Carta. GH
of the Preſpects from Parts of tbé U
Town. — Charming Scenery of the Enuujj
— Deſcription of Montmorenci Mater Fall
—Of La Chaudiere Mater Fall. ;

Quebec, Augull,

T E city of Quebec is ſituated on a very ;

lofty point of land, on the north-

fide of the River St. Lawrence. Nearly facing

it, on the oppoſite ſhore, there is another poi
and between the two the river is contracted
the breadth of three quarters of a mile, bull
after paſſing through this ſtrait it expands

the breadth of five or fix miles, taking a g

ſweep behind that point whereon Quebae
ſtands. The city derives its name from thee

- word Quebec or Quebeio, which ſignifies
the: Algonquin tongue, a ſudden contracian

of a river. The wide part of the river, i
mediately before the town, is called The
Baſon ; and it is ſufficiently deep and ſpacioun

to float YPWards of one hundred fail - of .tne
Aline,

Quebec is. divided into two parts; * |

upper town, fituated on a rock of limeſtone

on che top of the point; and the lower tou
built

#
1

References N
ape Diamond D

Ie Glace
Lena
DI Ureula
Lum
LI. Fbagſde
Kedoubt of Cape Diamond
Ural Redoubt and Barracks .
WDaphingds Redoubt and Barracks R. Jama.
a (Pucroh S. Jeeuits (D j = | |
Johns Gate T. Recollects CO _—— 4
Ialave U Parade Jen Palace...”
Fri SL and Governors Houre | V. Alarket Place . Lone Gate |
Wine Gun Battery W.AMarket Place i the lower Town pAnireno/ment 45 Mg
Great Battery X. Ureulines Convent iS! ler River :
2 Y. Hotel Dieu 1
— CA—_——————_———_ —C———— — —— —
| Scale of 3000 Feet .

. oO 1000 2000

ane nes
- , = a

—
1 8
eee

„

o
—_— =

FR”OQUEBEC

ace...
x

along

QU'EB E C. 343

built round the bottom of the point, cloſe
to the water. The rock whereon the upper
town ſtands, in ſome places towards the water
riſes nearly perpendicularly, fo as to be totally
inacceſſible ;/ in other places it is not fo ſteep
but that there is a communication between
the two towns, by means of ſtreets winding
up the fide of it, though even here the aſcent
is ſo great, that there are long flights of ſtairs
at one. fide of the ſtreets for the accommoda-
tion of foot paſſengers,

The lower town lies very much expoſed to
an enemy, being defended merely by a ſmall
battery towards the baſon, which at the time
of high tides is nearly on a level with the”
water, and by barriers towards the river, in
which guns may be planted when there is any
danger of an attack.

The upper town, however, is a place of
immenſe ſtrength. * Towards the water it is ſo
ſtrongly guarded by nature, that it is found
unneceflary to have more than very flight
walls; and in ſome particular places, where
the rock is inacceſſible, are no walls at all.
There are ſeveral redoubts and batteries how-
ever here. The principal battery, which
points towards the-baſon, conſiſts of twenty=
two twenty-four pounders, two French
thirty-tix pounders, and two large iron mor-
tars; this battery is flanked by another of ſix
2 4 guns,

344 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

guns, that. commands the paſſes from hk
lower town. %

On the land fide, the town owes its den 2th
ſolely to the hand of art, and here the —

fications are ſtupendous. Conſiderable addi-

tions and improvements have been made to
them ſince the place has been in the poſſeſſion
of Great Britain; but even at the time when
it belonged. to France, the works were fo
ſtrong, that had it not been for the conduct of
M. de Montcalm, the French general; it is
almoſt doubtful whether the genius of the.im-
mortal Wolfe himſelf would not have been
baffled in attempting to reduce it.

Had M. de Montcalm, when the firſt i IN»
telligence of the Britiſh army's having aſcend»
ed the Heights of Abraham was carried to
him, inſtead of diſbelieving the account, and
laughing at it as a thing impoſſible, marched
immediately to the attack, without giving
General Wolfe time to form his men; or had
he, when the account was confirmed of the
enemy's procedure, and of their having formed
on the plain, waited for a large diviſion of his
troops, whoſe ſtation was below the town, and
who might have joined him in two hours,

- - inſtead of marching out to give General

Wolfe battle with the troops he had with
him at the time, the fate of the day might
have turned out very differently; or had he,

by inſtead

GENERAL: WOLFE: 345

inſtead - of - hazarding a battle at all, retired
within the walls of the city and defended it,
the place was ſo ſtrong that there is reaſon to
think it might have held out until the ap-
proach of winter, when the Britiſh ſhips muſt
have quitted the river, and General Wolfe
would -conſequently have been under the ne-
ceſſity of raiſing the ſiege.

General Wolfe thought it a vain attempt to
make an aſſault on the ſide of the town
which lies towards the water, where the rock
is ſo ſtœep, and ſo eaſily detended ; his object
was to get behind it, and to carry on the at-
tack on the land ſide, where there is an ex-
tenſive plain adjoining the town, and not a
great deal lower than the higheſt part of the
point. In order to do ſo, he firſt of all at-
tempted to land his troops ſome miles below
the town, near the Falls of Mentmorenci.
Here the banks of the river are by no means
ſo difficult of aſcent as above the town; but
they were defended by a large diviſion of
the French forces, which had thrown up
ſeveral ſtrong; redoubts, and, in attempting to
land, Wolfe was repulſed, with loſs.

Above Quebec, the banks of the river are
extremely high, and ſo ſteep at the ſame time,
that by the French they were deemed inacceſ-
ſible. Foiled, however, in his firſt attempt
to get on ſhore, General Wolfe formed the

bold

e
1 n
28 ng

= (um 9 P £
"GT ry 9 1
Wen

A *
e * n
i

216 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA +
bold deſign of aſcending to the top of th
banks, commonly called the Heights of AU
ham. To prepare the way for it, poſtethalk
was taken of Point Levi, the point fituated
oppofite to that on which Quebec ſtands, an
from thence a heavy bombardment was c
menced on the town, in order to deeeive us
enemy. In the mean time boats were pre
pared; the troops embarked; they paſſed the
town with muffled dars, in the night, uno
ſerved, and landed at a cove, about two mi
above. The ſoldiers clambered up the heighg
with great difficulty, and the guns were
hauled up by means of ropes and pullies fixed
round the trees, with which the banks
covered from top to bottom. At the top i
plain commences, and extends cloſe under than
walls of the city: here it was that the mem
rable battle was fought, in which Genera
Wolfe unhappily periſhed, at the very mas

ment when all his noble exertions were'aboull f |
to be crowned with that ſucceſs which they |
ſo eminently deſerved: The ſpot where wha

illuſtrious hero breathed his laſt” is marke
with a large ſtone, on which a true un :
line is drawn. ö
8 Notwithſtanding that "the 11 Wos ö
found it ſuch a very difficult raſk to get poll

—

ſeſſion of Quebec, and that it has been rent

dered ſo much ſtronger fince his time, yet
| the

Y 7 We & ©

—
——

aan

k | MM”

' d fe? U
R ho
l n
0 <> 1
_ f \ = —_
-1 f P _ _
i p =
_ =
= U

BY |
* =
# & * 5 * |
6 5
0
W 8 9
Cl
* o
p * by. [ g
_ .
* o
, .
4
*
.
*
— 1
0
« 0
[|
T — *
1 ,
8
— J =
*. 1
F 0
* _”
0
ol
o 3
F Vc
- 4 by 4 9 wiſh .
70
k [
þ Ss = 0 9
LC
* on
7
i
*
Y
*
o 4 _
- & E
. * => S
- 2
1 *
1
” = ©
= s
1 o E
pF -
* l 8 bu
i = \
k T 0 ol
U bo bi
8 3
87
*
& by g = ©
n y i
=
1 LP 1 = —
1
bis N
= * 70
o i > .
by * *
© 0 .
9
= 3. \
n 19
4 . o
*
4 9 * — 1 = = & 1
10 *
*
q
- .
- \ 5
& \ PE = 0
4 1
* pu bis
_
4 f ©
LEN =, ©
\ i = $
8 9
0
0 FI by ”
4
o - LY
— 4
— 2

4
»
C
1
3
A
2
"af
Wi
*«*
vB
4. "> 4
4
* —
a
IS

*
«
i
SC
*
LEY t "
C4
4
"of
.
*
*
1
oy
"XL
Be
obs

„

„
{
ry 4 as
>

1
Lang.

T „.
| l %
2 15 3%

a.
i- ,

— —

Publghred Dec18.17g0, by 1. Stodedals, 4

VIEWg&f CAPE DIAMON

— — — — — —

|
|

—

— — — —

— —
— — — —

"ry
—

—_
=

"RS

* wer

EA}

5 4
* 2 $42

—
— — —
. — —

— —
— 5. ng —_
— — pa

— — — —
— — 2
— _ — 3 -y A+ — he
_ S
——

——

— —
—— —

-
8

— ©

=
*
-
of = 4
1
4
*
Þ k
*
& t
*
4
jo p =
* = S # x0 ep ae. e ( ( — . Kun . ˙ 24. - a. - eT_ 6 on * = . Id, CA ig V * PR — < ar 2}
| 133 4 Be a 1 * 76 A |
- $ =
d ; 2 * =
l — = Is OA I R 7 x
Fa 0 V® 4 b | FI / 2
Rs

GENERAL ARNOLD. 37

the people of the United States confidently
imagine, at this day, that if there were a rup-
ture with Great Britain, they need only ſend
an army thither, and the place muſt fall into
their hands immediately. Arnold, after his
return from the expedition againſt the place,
under Montgomery, in the year 1775, uſed
frequently to declare, that if he had not been
wounded he ſhould certainly have carried it.
But however that expedition may be admired
for its great boldneſs, it was, in reality, far
from being ſo nearly attended with ſucceſs as
the vanity of Arnold has led his countrymen
to imagine.

All thoughts of taking the city wi a regular
ſiege were abandoned by the Americans,
when they came before it; it was only by
attempting to ſtorm it at an unexpected hour
that they ſaw any probability of wreſting it
from the Britiſh. The night of the thirty-
firſt of December was accordingly fixed upon,
and the city was attacked at the ſame moment
in three places. But although the garriſon
were completely ſurpriſed, and the greater
part of the rampart guns had been diſmounted,
and laid up for the winter, during which ſea-
ſon it was thought impoſſible for an army to
make an attack ſo vigorous that cannon
would be wanting to repel it, yet the Ameri-

cans were at once baffled in their attempt.
Arnold,

»
———_ "4 . :
_ — . —_
4 447
* E _ 1 4
4 a
— 26 . af K

N > — —
, =_ : > ot "2
hs add "2 r 6
4 9 b 924 43 =" Ga
7 9 4.4 f 2 8
* — as; ) » *{ . Ks... Wn 1 — 2 * >
> a — 2 — $
— a_— -- — — 2 3 *

2
80

*
* =

»_
LF
oo = oO
I C
* D
* F = [na = ”

548 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

Arnold, in endeavouring to force St. John's
Gate, which leads out on the back part of
the town, not far from the plains of Abraham,
was wounded, and repulſed with great loſs.
Montgomery ſurpriſed. the guard of the firſt
barrier, at one end of the lower town, and
paſſed it; but at the ſecond he was ſhot, and
his men were driven back, The third di-

viſion of the Americans entered the lower
town 1n another quarter, which, as I have be-

fore ſaid, lies very much expoſed, by paſ-

-fing over the ice: they remained there for a

day or two, and during that time they fet fire
to ſome buildings, amongſt which was one of
the religious houſes ; but they were finally

diſlodged without much difficulty, The two

diviſions under Montgomery and Arnold were

repulſed with a mere handful of men: the

different detachments, ſent down from the

upper town againſt the former, did not alto-

gether amount, it is ſaid, to two hundred men.
Arnold's attack was the maddeſt poſſible;
for St. John's Gate, and the walls adjoining,
are ſtupendous, and a perſon need but fee

them to be convinced that any attempt to

ſtorm them muſt be fruitleſs without the aid

of heavy artillery, which the Americans had
not. |

Independent of what it owes to its fortifi-

cations, and ſituation on the top of a rock,

Quebec

ITX DE L 349

Quebec is indebted for much of its ſtrength
to the ſeverity and great length of the win-
ter, as in that ſeaſon it is wholly impracti-
cable for a beſieging army either to carry on
any works or blockade the town.

It requires about five thouſand ſoldiers to

man the works at Quebec completely. A
large garriſon is always kept in it, and abun-
dance of ſtores of every deſcription. The
troops are lodged. partly in barracks, and
partly in block houſes near Cape Diamond,
which is the moſt elevated part of the point,
and is reckoned to be upwards of one thouſand
feet above the level of the river. The Cape
is ſtrongly fortified, and may be conſidered as
the citadel of Quebec; it commands the town
in every direction, and alſo the plains at the
outſide of the walls. The evening and morn-
ing guns, and all falutes and fignals, are fired
from hence. Notwithſtanding the great height
of the rock above the river, water may readily
be had even at the very top of it, by finking
wells of a moderate depth, and in ſome par-
ticular places, at the ſides of the rock, it guſhes
out in large ſtreams. The water is of a very
good quality.

No cenſus has been lately taken of the num-
ber of houſes and inhabitants in Quebec ; but
it is ſuppoſed that, including the upper and
lower towns and ſuburbs, there are at leaſt
t]

350 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

two thouſand dwellings; at the rate of fix
therefore to each houſe, the number of in-
habitants would amount to twelve thouſand.
About two thirds of the inhabitants are of
French extraction. The ſociety in Quebec is
agreeable, and very extenſive for a place of the
ſize, owing to its being the capital of the
lower province, and therefore the refidence
of the governor, different civil officers, princi-
pal lawyers, &c. &c. The large garriſon
conſtantly kept in it makes the place appear
very gay and lively.

The lower town of Quebec is moſtly in-
habited by the traders who are concerned with
the ſhipping, and it is a very diſagreeable place.
The ſtreets are narrow and dirty, and owing to
the great height of the houſes in moſt of them,
the air is much confined ; in the ſtreets next to
the water alſo, there is oftentimes an intoler-
able ſtench from the ſhore when the tide is
out. The upper town, on the contrary, is ex-
tremely agreeable: from its elevated ſituation
the air is as pure as poſſible, and the inhabi-
tants are never oppreſſed with heat in ſummer ;
it is far, however, from being well laid out, the
ſtreets being narrow and very irregular. The
houſes are for the moſt part built of ſtone, and
except a few, erected of late years, ſmall, ugly,
and inconvenient.

The

GOVERNOR'S CHATEAU: zr

The chateau, wherein the governor reſides,
is a plain building of common ſtone, ſituated
m an open place, the houſes round which, form
three ſides of an oblong ſquare. It conſiſts of
two parts. The old and the new are ſeparated
from each other by a ſpacious court. The
former ſtands juſt on the verge of an inacceſſible
part of the rock; behind it, on the outſide,
there is a long gallery, from whence, if a peb-
ble were let drop, it would fall at leaſt ſixty feet
perpendicularly. This old part is chiefly taken
up with the public offices, and all the apart-
ments in it are ſmall and ill contrived ; but in
the new part, which ſtands in front of the other,
facing the ſquare, they are ſpacious, and toler-
ably well finiſhed, but none of them can be
called elegant. This part is inhabited by the
governor's family. The chateau 1s built with
out any regularity of deſign, neither the old
nor the new part havingeven an uniform front.
It is not a place of ſtrength, as commonly re-
preſented. In the garden adjoining to it is
merely a parapet wall along the edge of the
rock, with embraſures, in which a few ſmall
guns are planted, commanding a part of the
lower town, Every evening during ſummer,
when the weather is fine, one of the regiments
of the garriſon parades in the open place before
the chateau, and the band plays for an hour or
two,-at which time the place becomes the re-

fart

342 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

fort of numbers of the moſt genteel people of
the town, and has a very gay appearance.

Oppoſite to the chateau there is a monaſtery
belonging to the Recollets or Franciſcan friars
a yery few only of the order are now left. Con-
tiguous to this building is the college belong-
ing to the Jeſuits, whoſe numbers have dimi-
niſhed even ſtill faſter than that of the Recol-
lets; one old man alone of the brotherhood is
left, and in him are centered the immenſe poſ-
ſeſſions of that once powerful body in Canada,
bringing in a yearly revenue of . 10,000 ſter-
ling. This old man, whoſe lot it has been to
outlive all the reſt of the order, is by birth a
Swiſs: in his youth he was no more than a por-
ter to the college, but having ſome merit he
was taken notice of, promoted to a higher
fituation, and in the end created a lay brother.
Though a very old man he isextremely healthy;
he poſſeſſes an amiable diſpoſition, and is much
beloved on account of the excellent uſe he

makes of his large fortune, which is chiefly
employed in charitable purpoſes. On his n
the property falls to the crown.

The nunneries are three in number, and as
there is no reſtriction upon the female religious
orders, they are all well filled. The largeſt of
them, called L' Hoſpital General, ſtands in the
ſuburbs, outſide of the walls; another, of the
order of St. Urſule, is not far diſtant from. the
chateau.

The

QUEBEC MARKET. 353

The engineer's drawing room, in which are

kept a variety of models, together with plans

of the fortifications of Quebec and other for-
treſſes in Canada, is an old building, near the
principal battery, Adjoining thereto ſtands the
houſe where the legiſlative council and aſſem-
bly of repreſentatives meet, which is alſo an
old building, that has been plainly fitted up to
accommodate the legiſlature.

The armoury is ſituated near the artillery
barrack, in another part of the town, About
ten thouſand ſtand of arms are kept in it, ar-
ranged in a ſimilar manner with the arms in
the Tower of London, but, if poſſible, with
greater neatneſs and more fancy.

The artillery barracks are capable of con-

taining about fave hundred men, but the prin-
cipal barracks are calculated to contain a much

larger number; they ſtand in the market

place, not far diſtant from the ſquare in which
the chateau is fituated, but more in the heart
of the town.

The market of Quebec is extremely well
ſupplied with proviſions every kind, which may
be purchaſed at a much more moderate price

than in any town I viſited in the United States.
It is a matter of curioſity to a ſtranger to ſee

the number of dogs yoked in little carts, that
are brought into this market by the people who
attend it. The Canadian dogs are found ex-

VOL I. Aa tremely

$444 (ip 0

W 1
W * by „
| \ \ 4 F
I — K
REAC WV T2: p ” -
p * g * : * 1 - k
| * — 4 1 »
19 17 5 9 o bl *
Pg he. ; — NS x
; « JF TRA "TY = | iy" = =
." y — , K IF i "= q
_ 9 bY # ST * K 1 = £ \ *
= -» —_— by E =— * = bs £1
_— = a l N by | _

goon = ——
- ane. 8 W WY
* ” ——

2:3 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

tremely uſeful in drawing burthens, and there
is ſcarcely a family in Quebec or Montreal,
that does not keep one or more of them for
that purpoſe. They are ſomewhat ſimilar to
the Newfoundland breed, but broader acroſs
the loins, and have ſhorter and thicker legs;
in general they are handſome, and wonderfully
docile and ſagacious; their ſtrength is prodi-
gious ; I have ſeen a ſingle dog, in more than
one inſtance, draw a man for a conſiderable
diſtance that could not weigh leſs than ten
ſtone. People, during the winter ſeaſon, fre-
quently perform long journeys on the ſnow
with half a dozen or more of theſe animals
yoked in a cariole or ſledge.

I muſt not conclude this letter without mak-
mg mention of the ſcenery that is exhibited to
the view, from various parts of the upper town
of Quebec, which, for its grandeur, its beauty,
and its diverſity, ſurpaſſes all that I have hi-
therto ſeen in America, or indeed in any other
part of the globe. In the variegated expanſe
that is laid open before you, ſtupendous rocks,
immenſe rivers, trackleſs foreſts and cultivated
plains, mountains, lakes, towns, and villages,
in turn ſtrike the attention, and the ſenſes are
almoſt bewildered in contemplating the vaſt-
neſs of the ſcene. Nature is here ſeen on the
grandeſt ſcale; and it is ſcarcely poſſible for the
imagination to paint to itſelf any thing more

ſublime

SUBLIME VIEWS, 356
ſublime than are the ſeveral proſpects preſented
to the ſight of the delighted ſpectator. From
Cape Diamond, fituated one thouſand feet
above the level of the river, and the loftieſt part
of the rock on which the city is built, the proſ-
pect is conſidered by many as ſuperior to that
from any other ſpot. A greater extent of
country opens upon you, and the eye is here
enabled to take in more at once, than at any
other place; but to me it appears, that the view
from the cape is by no means ſo fine as that,
for inſtance, from the battery; for in ſurveying
the different objects below you from ſuch a
ſtupendous height, their magnitude is in a
great meaſure loſt, and it ſeems as if you were
looking at a draft of the country more than at
the country itſelf. It is the upper battery that
I allude to, facing the baſon, and is about three
hundred feet above the level of the water.
Here, if you ſtand but a few yards from the edge
of the precipice, you may look down at once
upon the river, the veſſels upon which, as they
fail up to the wharfs before the lower town,
appear as if they were coming under your very
feet. The river itſelf; which is between five
and fix miles wide, and viſible as far as the
diſtant end of the iſland of Orleans, where it
loſes itſelf amidſt the mountains that bound
it on each fide, is one of the moſt beautiful
objects in nature, and on a fine ſtill ſummer's
A a 2 evening

356 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

evening it often wears the appearance of a vaſt
mirror, where the varied rich tints of the ſky,
as well as the images of the ditferent objects on
the banks, are ſeen reflected with inconceivable
luſtre. The ſouthern bank of the river, in-
dented fancifully with bays and promontories,
remains nearly in a ſtate of nature, cloathed
with lofty trees; but the oppoſite. ſhore is
thickly covered with houſes, extending as
along other parts of the river already men-
tioned, in one uninterrupted village, ſeemingly,
as far as the eye can reach. On this ſide the
proſpect is terminated by an extenſive range of
mountains, the flat lands ſituated between and
the villages on the banks not being viſible to
a ſpectator at Quebec, it ſeems as if the moun-
tains roſe directly out of the water, and the
houſes were built on their ſteep and rugged
ſides. |
Beautiful as the environs of the city appear
when ſeen at a diſtance, they do not appear
leſs ſo on a more cloſe inſpection; and in paſ-
ſing through them the eye is entertained with
a moſt pleaſing variety of fine landſcapes, whilſt
the mind is equally. gratified with the appear-
ance. of content and happineſs that -reigns in
the countenances of the inhabitants, Indeed,
if a country as fruitful as it is pictureſque, a
genial and healthy climate, and a tolerable
mare of civil and religious liberty, can make

people

BEAUTIFUL. SCENERY. 357

people happy, none:ought to appear more ſo
than the Canadians, during this i ſea-
ſon of the year.

Before I diſmiſs this ſubject entirely, T muſt
give you a brief account of two ſcenes in the
vicinity of Quebec, more particularly deſerv-
ing of attention than any others. The one is
the Fall of the River Montmorenei; the
other, that of the Chaudiere. The former
ſtream runs into the St. Lawrence, about ſeven
miles below Quebec; the latter joins the ſame
river nearly at an equal ance above the
city.

The Montmorenci River runs in a very ir-
rezular courſe, through a wild and thickly
wooded country, over a bed of broken rocks,
till it comes to the brink of a precipice, down
which it deſcends in one uninterrupted and
nearly perpendicular fall of two hundred and
forty feet. The ſtream of water in this river,
except at the time of floods, is but ſcant but
being broken into foam by ruſhing with ſuch
rapidity 25 it does over the rocks at the top of
the precipice, it is thereby much dilated, and
in its fall appears to be a ſheet of water of no
inconſiderable magnitude. The breadth of the
river at top, from bank to bank, is about fifty
feet only. In its fall, the water has the exact
appearance of ſnow, as when thrown in heaps
from the roof of a houſe, and it ſeemingly de-

A a 3 ſcends

358 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

ſcends with a very ſlow motion. The ſptay
at the bottom is conſiderable, and when the ſun
happens to ſhine bright in the middle of the
day, the priſmatic colours are exhibited in it
in all their variety and luſtre. At the bottom
of the precipice the water is confined in a ſort
of baſon, as it were, by a maſs of rock, ex-
tending nearly acroſs the fall, and out of this
it flows with a gentle current to the St. Law-
rence, which is about three hundred yards
diſtant. The banks of the Montmorenci, be-
low the precipice, are nearly perpendicular-on
one fide, and on both inacceſſible, fo that if a
perſon be deſirous of getting to the bottom of
the fall, he muſt deſcend down the banks of
the St. Lawrence, and walk along the margin
of that river till he comes to the chaſm through
which the Montmorenci flows. To a perſon
failing along the St. Lawrence, paſt the mouth

of the chaſm, the fall appears in great beauty.
General Haldimand, formerly - governor of
Canada, was ſo much delighted with this ca-
taract, that he built a dwelling houſe cloſe, to
it, from the parlour windows of which it is
ſeen in a very advantageous point of view. In
front of the houſe is a neat lawn, that runs
down the whole way to the St. Lawrence, and
in various parts of it little ſummer-houſes have
been erected, each of which commands a view
of the fall, There is alſo a ſummer-houſe,
ſituated

GRAND FALLS. 339

ſituated nearly at the top of the fall, hanging
directly over the precipice, ſo that if a bullet
were dropped from the window, it would de-
ſcend in a perpendicular line at leaſt two hun-
dred feet. This houſe is ſupported by large
beams of timber, fixed into the ſides of the
chaſm, and in order to get to it you have to
paſs over ſeveral flights of ſteps, and one or two
wooden galleries, which are ſupported in the
ſame manner. The view from hence is tre-
mendouſly grand. It is ſaid, that the beams
whereon this little edifice is erected are in a
ſtate of decay, and many perſons are fearful of
entering into it, leſt they ſhould give way; but
being ignorant of the danger, if indeed there
was any, our whole party ventured into it at
once, and ſtaid there a conſiderable time, not-
withſtanding its tremulous motion at every
ſtep we trod. That the beams cannot laſt for
ever is certain; it would be a wile meaſure,
therefore, to have them removed or repaired in
proper time, for as long as they remain ſtand-
ing, perſons will be found that will venture
into the unſteady fabrick they ſupport, and
ſhould they give way at a moment when any
perſons are in it, the cataſtrophe muſt inevi-
tably be fatal.

The fall in the River Chaudiere is not half
the height of that of the Montmorenci, but
then it is no leſs than two hundred and fifty
Aa 4 feet

366 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

feet in breadth. The ſcenery round this c.

tara& is much ſuperior in every reſpect to that
in the neighbourhood of the Montmoreniei.
Contiguous to the latter there are few trees of

any great magnitude, and nothing is near it to

relieve the eye; you have the fall, and nought
but the fall, to contemplate. The banks of
La Chaudiere, on the contrary, are covered
with trees of the largeſt growth, and amidſt
the piles of broken rocks, which lie ſcattered
about the place, you have ſome of the wildeſt
and moſt romantic views imaginable. As for
the fall itſelf, its grandeur varies with the ſea-

ſon. When the river is full, a body of water

comes ruſhing over the rocks of the preci-

*pice that aftoniſhes the beholder ; but in dry

weather, and indeed during the greater part of

the ſummer, we may ſay, the quantity of wa-
ter is but trifling. At this ſeaſon there are

few but what would prefer the falls of the
Montmorenci River, and I am tempted to ima-
gine that, upon the whole, the generality of
people would give it the preference at- all
times.

. 3 361 1*

LETTER, XXV.

—

Of "the Cin hrutin, | Groermment, Li and
Religion of the Provinces of Upper and Lower
Canada.—Fftimate of the Expenſes of the Civil
Lift, of the Military Eflabhſhment, and "the
Preſents to the Indians. —Salaries of certain
Officers of the C ron. — Imports and Exports.

mT axes. _

Quebec.

Fron Fg time that Canada was ceded to

Great Britain until the year 1774; the in-
ternal affairs of the province were regulated by
the ordinancelof the governor alone. In pur-
ſuance of the Quebec Bill; which was then
paſſed, a legillative council was appointed by
his Majeſty in the country; the number of
members was limited to twenty-three; © This
council had full power to make all ſuch ordi-
nances and regulations as were thought expe=
dient for the welfare of the province; but it
was prohibited from levying any taxes, except
for the purpoſe of making” roads, repairing
public buildings, or the like. Every ordinance
was to be laid before the governor, for his
Majeſty's approbation, within fix months from
the time it was paſſed, and no ordinance, im-

poſing a greater puniſhment on any perſon or
perſons

362 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

perſons than a fine, or impriſonment for three
months, was valid without his Majeſty's aſſent,
ſignified to the council by the governor.

Thus were the affairs of the province regur
lated until the year 1791, when an act was
paſſed in the Britiſh parliament, repealing fo
much of the Quebec Bill as related to the ap-
pointment of a council, and to the powers that
had been granted to it; and which eſtabliſhed
the preſent form of government.

The country, at the ſame time, was divided
into two diſtinct provinces; the province of
Lower Canada, and the province of Upper
Canada. 'The former is the eaſtern part of the
old province of Canada; the latter, the weſtern
part, ſituated on the northern ſides of the great
lakes and rivers through which the | boundary
line runs that ſeparates the Britiſh territories
from thoſe of the United States. The two
provinces are divided from each other by a line,
which runs north, 24* weſt, commencing at
Point au Baudet, in that part of the river St.
Lawrence called Lake Francis, and continu-
ing.on from thence to the Utawas or Grand
River. The city of Quebec is the capital of the
lower province, as the town of 50g is of
the upper one. 06
The executiye power in each province is
yeſted in the governor, who has for his advice
an executive council appointed by his Mar

? jeſty.

CONSTITUTION: OF CANADA, 363
jeſty. The legiſlative power of each province

is veſted in the governor, a legiſlative coun-
cil, and an aſſembly of the repreſentatives of
the people. Their acts, however, are ſubject
to the controul of his Majeſty, and in ſome
particular cafes to the controul of the Britiſh
parliament.

Bills are paſſed in the council and in the
aſſembly in a form ſome what ſimilar to that in
which bills are carried through ' the” Britiſh
houſes of parliament; they are then laid before
the governor, who gives or withholds his aſſent,
or reſerves them for his Majeſty's pleaſure.

Such bills as he aſſents to are put in force
immediately; but he is bound to tranſmit a
true copy of them to the King, who in council
may declare his diſallowance of them within
two years from the time of their being receiv-
ed, in which caſe they become vdid. |

Such as are reſerved for his Majeſty's aſſent
are not to be put in force until n is re-
ceived.

Moreover, every at of the afferably and
council, which goes to repeal or vary the laws
or regulations that were in exiſtence at the
time the preſent conſtitution was eſtabliſhed
in the country reſpecting tithes ; the appro-
priation of land for the ſupport of a proteſtant
clergy ; the conſtituting and endowing of par-
lonages or rectories; the right of preſentation
to

r T_w=_r OST
* * i > # =

364 TRAVELS THROUGH' LOWER CANADA:

to the ſame, and the manner in which the in-
cumbents ſhall hold them; the enjoyment and
exerciſe of any form or mode of worſhip; the

1mpoling of any burdens and diſqualifications

on account of the ſame; the rights of the
clergy to recover their accuſtomed dues; the
impoſing or granting of any farther dues or
emoluments to any ecclefiaſtics ; the eſtabliſn-
ment and diſcipline of the church of England;
the King's prerogative, touching the granting
of waſte lands of the crown within the pro-
vince ; every ſuch act, before it receives the
royal aflent, muſt be laid before both houſes
of parliament in Great Britain, and the King
mult not give his aſtent thereto until thirty
days after the ſame has been laid before par-
liament and in caſe either houſe of parlia-
ment preſents an addreſs to the King to with-
hold his aſſent to any ſuch act or acts, it cannot
be given. ö

By an act paſſed lin the eighteenth year of
his preſent Majeſty's reign, the Britiſh parlia-
ment has alſo the power of making any. re-
gulations which may be found expedient, re-
ſpecting the commerce and navigation of the
province, and alſo of impoſing import and
export duties; but all ſuch duties are to be
applied ſolely to the uſe of the province, and
in ſuch a manner only as the laws made in
the council and aſſembly direct.

The

LEGISLATIVE COUNCTL, 365

The legiſlative council, of Lower Canada
conſiſts of fifteen members; that of Upper
Canada of ſeven. The number of the mem-
bers in each province mult, never be leſs than
this; but it may be increaſed whenever his
Majeſty thinks fit.

The counſellors are appointed for life, by
an inſtrument under the great ſeal of the
province, ſigned by the governor, who is in-
veſted with powers for that purpoſe by the
King. No perſon can be a counſellor who
is not twenty-one years of age, nor any one
who is not a natural born ſubject, or who has
not been naturalized according to act of parlia-
ment.

Whenever his Majeſty thinks proper, he
may confer on any perſons hereditary titles of
honour, with a right annexed to them of being
ſummoned to ſit in this council, which right
the heir may claim at the age of twenty-one ;
the right, however, cannot be acknowledged
if the heir has been abſent from the province
without icave of his Majeſty, ſignified to the
council by the governor, for four years tage-
ther, between the time of his ſuceceding to
the right and the time of his demanding it.

The right is forfeited alſo, if the heir takes an

oath of allegiance to any foreign power be-
fore he demands it, unlefs his Majeſty, by

- — To

K
LS %

..
1 |

.
83

Ma jeſty.

366 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

an inſtrument under the great ſeal of the
province, ſhould decree to the contrary.

If a counſellor, after having taken his ſeat,
abſent himſelf from the province for two years
ſucceſſively, without leave from his Majeſty,
ſignified to the council by the governor, his
ſeat is alſo thereby vacated.

All hereditary rights, however, of ſitting in
council, ſo forfeited, are only to be fuſpended
during the life of the defaulters, and on their
death they deſcend with the titles to the next
heirs *.

In caſes of treaſon, both the title and right
of fitting in the council are extinguiſhed.

All queſtions concerning the right of being
ſummoned to the council are to be determined
by the council; but an appeal may be had from
their deciſion to his Majeſty in his parliament
of Great Britain. |

The governor has the power of appointing
and removing the ſpeaker of the council.

The >Membly of Lower Canada conſiſts of
fifty members, and that of Upper Canada of
ſixteen ; neither aſſembly is ever to conſiſt of
a leſs number. 1

The members for diſtricts, circles, or coun-

* No hereditary titles, with this right annexed, haye yet
been conferred on any perſons in Canada by his Britannic

ties,

THE ASSEMBLY. 367
ties, are choſen by a majority of the votes of
ſuch perſons as are poſſeſſed of lands or tene-
ments in freehold, in fief, in boture, or by
certificate derived under the authority of the
governor and council of Quebec, of the yearly
value of forty ſhillings, clear -of all rents,
charges, &c. The members for towns of
townſhips are choſen by a majority of the
votes of ſuch perſons as poſſeſs houſes and
lands for their own uſe, of the yearly value
of five pounds ſterling, or as have refided in
the town or townſhip for one year, and paid a
rent for a houſe during the time, at' the rate
of ten pounds yearly.

No perſon is eligible to ſerve as a member
of the aſſembly, who is a member of the legi-
ſlative council, or a miniſter, prieſt, eccleft=
aſtic, or religious perſonage of the church of
England, Rome, or of any other church.

No perſon is qualified to vote or ſerve, who
is not twenty-one years of age; nor any per-
on, not a natural born ſubject, or who has not
been naturalized, either by law or conqueſt;
nor any one who has been attainted of trea-
ſon in any court in his Majeſty's dominions,
or who has been diſqualified by. an 9 of al
ſembly and council.

Every voter, if called upon, 4ibiaſt take an
oath, either in French of Engliſh, that he is
of age; that he is qualified to vote according
n 0

EY
— 2

368 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER. CANADA:
to law; and that he has not voted before at

that election.

The governor has the power of appointing
the place of ſeſſion, and of calling together, of
proroguing, and of diſſolving the aſſembly.
The aſſembly is not to laſt longer than four
years, but it may be diſſolved ſooner. The
governor is bound to call it at leaſt once in
each year.

The oath of a member, on taking his 5
is compriſed in a few words: he promiſes to
bear true allegiance to the. King, as lawful
ſovereign of Great Britain, 'and the province
of Canada dependant upon it; to defend him
againſt all traitorous conſpiracies and attempts
againſt his perſon; and to make known to
him all ſuch conſpiracies and attempts, which
he may at any time be acquainted with; all
which he promiſes without mental evaſion,
reſervation, or equivocation, at the ſame time
renouncing all pardons and diſpenſations from
any perſon or power whatſoever.

The governors of the two provinces. are
totally independent of each other in their
civil capacity: in military affairs, the gover-
nor of the lower province takes precedence,
as he is uſually created captain general of his
Daa! g forces in North America.

The preſent ſyſtem of judicature in each

province was eſtabliſhed. by the Quebec bill
of

QUEBEC BILL
of 1774. By this bill it was enacted, that all

perſons in the country ſhould be entitled to

hold their lands or poſſeſſions in the fame
manner as before the conqueſt, according to
the laws and uſages then exiſting in Canada ;
and that all controverſies relative to property
or civil rights ſhould alſo be determined by
the ſame laws and uſages. Theſe old laws
and uſages, however, were not to extend to
the lands which might thereafter be granted
by his Britannic Majeſty in free and common
ſocage : here Engliſh laws were to be in full
force; ſo that the * Engliſh inhabitants, who
have ſettled for the moſt part on new lands,
are not ſubject to the controul of theſe old
French laws, that were exiſting in Canada
when the country was conquered, except a
diſpute concerning property or civil rights
ſhould ariſe between any of them and the
French inhabitants, in which caſe the matter
is to be determined by the French laws.
Every friend to civil liberty would with to
ſee theſe laws aboliſhed, for they weigh very
unequally in favour of the rich and of the poor;
but as long as the French inhabitants remain
lo wedded as they are at preſent to old cuſ-

* I mall obſerve here once for all that by Engliſh inhabitants
| mean all thoſe whoſe native language is Engliſn, in contra-
diſtinction to the Canadians of French extraction, who uni-
verſally ſpeak the French language, and no other.

Vor. I. | B b toms,

E
hy:
.

370 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

toms, and ſo very ignorant, there is little hope
of ſecing any alteration of this nature take
place. At the fame time that the French laws
were ſuffered by the Quebec bill to exiſt, in
order to conciliate the affections of the French
inhabitants, who were attached to them, the
criminal law of England was eſtabliſned
throughout every part of the country ; “ and
* this was one of the happieſt circumſtances,”
as the Abbe Raynal obſerves, that Canada
* could experience; as deliberate, rational,
e public trials took place of the impenetrable
* myſterious tranſactions of a cruel inquiſi-
& tion; and as a tribunal, that had theretofore
« been dreadfu] and ſanguinary, was filled
« with humane judges, more diſpoſed to ac-
* knowledge innocence than to ſuppoſe cri-
4 minality.“

The governor, the lieutenant governor, or
the perſon adminiſtering the government, the
members of the executive council, the chief
juſtices of the province, and the judges of the
court of king's bench, or any five of them,
form a court of appeal, the judges however
excepted of that diſtrict from whence the
appeal is made. From the deciſion of this
court an appeal may be had in certain caſes
to the King in council.

Every religion is tolerated, in the fulleſt

extent of the word, in both provinces ; and
| no

T.Q L-8;K: A: T-:Þ+ ON; = 472

no diſqualifications are impoſed on any per-
ſons on account of their religious opinions.
The Roman Catholic religion is that of a'
great majority of the inhabitants ; and by the
Quebec bill of 1774, the eccleſiaſtics of that
perſuaſion are empòwered by law to recover all
the dues which, previous to that period, they
were accuſtomed to receive, as well as tithes;
that is, from the Roman Catholic inhabitants ;
but they cannot exact any dues or tithes from
Proteſtants, or off lands held by Proteſtants,
although formerly ſuch lands might have been
ſubjected to dues and tithes for the ſupport
of the Roman Catholic church. The dues
and tithes from off theſe lands are ſtill, how-
ever, to be paid; but they are to be paid to
perſons appointed by the governor, and the
2mount of them is to be reſerved, in the hands
of his Majeſty's receiver general, for the ſup-
port of the Proteſtant clergy actually reſiding
in the province.

By the act of the year 1791, allo, it was
ordained, that the governor thould allot out
of all lands belonging to the crown, which
ſhould be granted after that period, one-
leventh for the benefit of a Proteſtant clergy,
to be ſolely applicable to their uſe ; and all
ſuch allutments muſt be particularly ſpecified
in every grant of waſte lands, otherwiſe the

grant is void.
Bb 2 With

372 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

With the advice of the executive counctl,
the governor is authorized to conſtitute or
ere& parſonages or rectories, and to endow
them out of theſe appropriations, and to pre-
ſent incumbents to them, ordained according
to the rites of the church of England ; which
incumbents are to perform the fame duties,
and to hold their parſonages or rectories in the
fame manner as incumbents of the church
of England do in that country.

The clergy of the church of England, in
both provinces, conſiſts at preſent of twelve
perſons only, including the biſhop of Quebec;
that of the church of Rome, however, conſiſts
of no leſs than one hundred and twenty-ſix;
viz. a biſhop, who takes his title from Quebec,
his “ coadjuteur elu,” who is biſhop of Ca-
nathe, three vicars genera], and one hundred
and fixteen curates and miſſionaries, all of
whom are reſident in the lower province, ex-
cept five curates and miſhionaries. |

The number of the diſſenting clergy, in both
provinces, is conſiderably ſmaller than that of
the clergy of the church of England.

The expences of the civil liſt in Lower
Canada are eſtimated at J. 20,000 ſterling
per annum, one half of which is defrayed by
Great Britain, and the remainder by the pro-
vince, out of the duties paid on the importa-

tion of certain articles. The expence of the

3 civil

PRESENTS AND SALARIES. 373

civil liſt in Upper Canada is conſiderably leſs;
perhaps not ſo much as a fourth of that of
the lower province.

The military eſtabliſhment in both pro-
vinces, together with the repairs of fortifica-
tions, &c. are computed to coſt Great Britain
annually . 100,000 ſterling.

The preſents diſtributed amongſt the Indi-
ans, and the ſalaries paid to the different of-
ficers in the Indian department, are eſtimated
at C. 100, ooo ſterling more, annually.

Amongſt the officers in the Indian depart-
ment are, ſuperintendants general, deputy ſu-
perintendants, inſpectors general, deputy in-
ſpectors general, ſecretaries, aſſiſtant ſecreta-
ries, ſtorekeepers, clerks, agents, interpreters,
iſſuers of proviſions, ſurgeons, gunſmiths, &c.
&c. &c. moiſt of whom, in the lower province,
have now ſi necure places, as there are but few
Indians in the country ; but in the upper pro-
vince they have active ſervice to perform. Of
the policy of iſſuing preſents to ſuch a large
amount amongſt the Indians, more will be ſaid
in the afterpart of this work.

The following is a ſtatement of ſome of the
ſalaries paid to the officers of government in
Lower Canada.

'
'
Z
VP
D
2
O

Governor general
Lieutenant governor - - 1,500

B b 3 Exe -

LO
vi

*
Ky

374 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

Executive counſellors, each nn
Attorney general — — a
Solicitor general — a =

Secretary and regiſter to the province -

Clerk of the court of appeals, with fire
wood and ſtationary | _ = —
Secretary to the governor — 2
French ſecretary to the governor, and
tranſlator to the council

Chief juſtice of Quebec, who is chief

juſtice of the province — =
Chief juſtice of Montreal — —
Chief juſtice of Three Rivers -
Receiver general — — n
Surveyor general of lands =

Deputy, and allowance for an office
Surveyor of woods — - 3

Grand voyer of Quebec — 0

Grand voyer of Montreal - -
Grand voyer of Three Rivers -
Superintendant of . provincial poſt
houſes — — — -
Clerk of the terraro of the king's do-
main - — — —
Clerk of the crown — —

Inſpector df police at Quebec —
Inſpector of police at Montreal

Four miſſionaries to Indians, each
One miſſionary to Indians -

200

1,200

GOO

I'00

100

IMPORT DUTIES.

Schoolmaſter at Quebec —

Schoolmaſter at Montreal — —

Schoolmaſter at Carlifle, Bay de Cha-
leurs — - - — —

Overſeers, to prevent fires at Quebec,
and to ſweep the chimneys of the
poor - - - —

Salary of the biſhop of Quebec, who

is biſhop of both provinces - 2,000

The penſions, between January 1794 and Janu-
ary 1795, amounted to £.1,782- 65s. 7d.

A STATEMENT of the Articles ſubje& to
Duty on Importation into Canada, and of

the Duties payable thereon.

Brandy and other ſpirits, the manufac-
ture of Great Britain, per gallon -
Rum and other ſpirits, imported from the
colonies in the Weſt Indies, per
gallon 1 - - —
Brandy and ſpirits of foreign manufacture,
imported from Great Britain, per
gallon— . — *
Additional duty on the ſame, per gallon
Rum or ſpirits manufactured in the
United States, per gallon -

4. A

63
. 6

1 ©
of

I ©

B b 4 Molaſſes

356 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

Molaſſes and Syrups imported in Britiſh
ſhipping, per gallon — — 3

Additional duty, per gallon - - 3

Molaſſes or Syrups legally imported in

other than Britiſh ſhipping, per __ 6
Additional duty, per gallon — 3
Madeira wine, per gallon — - 6
Other wine — — — - 2

N. B. Wine can be imported directly
from Madeira, or from any of the Afri-
can iſlands, into Canada; but no Euro-
pean wine or brandy can be imported,
except through England.

Loaf or lump ſugar, per lb. - - 1
Maſcovado or clayed ſugar - 2 —
Coffee, per Ib. - A - _
Leaf tobacco, per 1b. — i =
Playing cards, per pack - 8
Salt, the minot — 3 ” =

N. B. The minot is a meaſure commonly
uſed in Canada, which is to the Wincheſter
buſhel, as 100 is to 108, 765.

The imports into Canada conſiſt of all the
various articles which a young country, that
does not manufacture much for its own uſe,
can be ſuppoſed to ſtand in need of; ſuch as

earthen

SOIL AND MANUFACTURES. 377

earthen ware, hardware, and houſehold fur-
niture, except of the coarſer kinds; woollen
and linen cloths, haberdaſhery, hoſiery, &c. ;
paper, ſtationary, leather and manufactures of
leather, groceries, wines, ſpirits, Weſt Indian
produce, &c. &c.; cordage of every deſcrip-
tion, and even the coarſer- manufa&ures of
iron, are alſo imported.

The foil of the country is well adapted to
the growth of hemp, and great pains have
been taken to introduce the culture of it.
Handbills, explaining the manner in which it
can be raiſed to the beſt advantage, have been
aſſiduouſly circulated amongſt the farmers, and
poſted up at all the public houſes. It is a
difficult matter, however, to put the French
Canadians out of their old ways, ſo that very
little hemp has been raiſed in conſequence of
the pains that have been thus taken; and it
is not probable that much will be raifed for
a conſiderable time to come.

Iron ore has been diſcovered in various
parts of the country; but works for the
ſmelting and manufacturing of it have been
erected at one place only, in the neighbour-
hood of Trois Rivieres. Theſe works were
erected by the king of France ſome time
before the conqueſt: they are now the pro-
perty of the Britiſh government, and are
rented out to the perſons who hold them

378 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA .

at preſent. When the leaſe expires, which
will be the caſe about the year 1800, it is
thought that no one will be found to carry on
the works, as the bank of ore, from whence
they are ſupplied, is nearly exhauſted. The
works conſiſt of a forge and a foundry : iron
ſtoves are the principal articles manufactured
in the latter; but they are not ſo much eſteem-
ed as thoſe from England.

Domeſtic manufactures are carried on in
molt parts of Canada, conſiſting of linen and

of coarſe woollen cloths; but by tar the greater

part of theſe articles uſed in the country is
imported from Great Britain.

The exports from Canada conſiſt of furs
and pelts in immenſe quantities; of wheat,
flour, flax-ſced, potaſh, timber, ſtaves, and
hamber of all forts; dricd fiſh, oil, ginſeng,
and various medicinal drugs.

The trade between Canada and Great Bri-

'tain employs, it is ſaid, about ſeven thouſand

tons of ſhipping annually.

1 379 J

LETTER NXXVI.

Of the Soil and Produttions of Lower Canada.

— Obſervations on the Manufature of Sugar

from the Maple-tree —Of the Climate of
Lower Canada,— Amuſements of People of
a Deſcriptions during Winter.—Carioles.
Manner of guarding againſt the Cold,—
Great Hardineſs of the Horſes. —State of the
River St. Lawrence on the Diſſolution of
Winter — Rapid Progreſs of Vegetation dur-
ing Spring. — Agreeableneſs of the Summer
and Autumn Seaſons.

Quebec,

HE eaſtern part of Lower Canada, be-
tween Quebec and the Gulph of St.
Lawrence, 1s mountainous; between Quebec
and the mouth of the Utawas River alſo a few
{ſcattered mountains are to be met with; but
higher up the River St. Lawrence the face of
the country is flat. |
The ſoil, except where ſmall tracts of ſtony
and ſandy land intervene, conſiſts principally
of a looſe dark coloured earth, and of the
depth of ten or twelve inches, below which
there is a bed of cold clay. This earth to-
wards the ſurface is extremely fertile, of which
there

3% TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

there cannot be a greater proof than that it
continues to yield plentiful crops, notwith-
ſtanding its being worked year after year by

the French Canadians, without ever being

manured. It 1s only within a few years back,
indeed, that any of the Canadians have begun
to manure their lands, and many {till continue,
from father to ſon, to work the ſame fields
without intermiſſion, and without ever putting
any manure upon them, yet the land is not
exhauſted, as it would be in the United States.
The manure principally made uſe of by thoſe
Who are the beſt farmers is marl, found in

prodigious quantities in many places along the

ſhores of the River St. Lawrence.

The ſoil of Lower Canada is particularly
ſuited to the growth of ſmall grain. Tobacco
alſo thrives well in it; it is only raiſed, how-
ever, in ſmall quantities for private uſe, more
than one half of what is uſed in the country
being imported. The Canadian tobacco is
of a much milder quality than that grown in
Maryland and Virginia : the ſnuff made from
it is held in great eſtimation.

Culinary vegetables of every deſcription
come to the greateſt perfection in Canada, as

-well as moſt of the European fruits : the cur-

rants, gooſeberries, and raſpberries are in par-
ticular very fine; the latter are indigenous,

2nd are found in profuſion in the woods ; the
vine

VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. 327

vine is alſo indigenous, but the grapes which
it produces in its uncultivated ſtate are very
poor, four, and but little larger than fine cur-
rants. ;
The variety of trees found in the foreſts.
of Canada is prodigious, and it is ſuppoſed
that there many kinds are ſtill unknown :
beech trees, oaks, elms, aſhes, pines, ſyca-
mores, cheſnuts, walnuts, of each of which
ſeveral different ſpecies are commonly met
with ; the ſugar maple tree is alſo found in
almoſt every part of the country, a tree never
ſeen but upon good ground. There are two
kinds of this very valuable tree -in Canada ;
the one called the ſwamp maple, from its
being generally found upon low lands; the
other, the mountain or curled maple, from
growing upon high dry ground, and from the
grain of the wood being very beautifully va-
riegated with little ſtripes and curls. The
former yields a much greater quantity of ſap.
in proportion to its ſize, than the other, but
this ſap does not afford ſo much ſugar as that
of the curled maple. A pound of ſugar is
frequently procured from two or three gallons
of the ſap of the curled maple, whereas no
more than the ſame quantity can be had from
ſix or ſeven gallons of that of the ſwamp.
The moſt approved method of getting the

lap is by piercing a hole with an auger in the

"
4 4 v4

382 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

fide of the tree, of one inch or an inch and a
half in diameter, and two or three inches in
depth, obliquely upwards ; but the moſt com-
mon mode of coming at it is by cutting a large
gaſh in the tree with an axe. In each caſe a
{mall ſpout is fixed at the bottom of the
wound, and a veſſel is placed underneath to
receive the liquor as it falls.

A maple tree of the diameter of twenty
inches will commonly yield ſufficient ſap for
making five pounds of ſugar each year, and
inſtances have been known of trees yielding
nearly this quantity annually for a ſeries of
thirty years. Trees that have been gaſhed
and mangled with an axe will not laſt by any
means ſo long as thoſe which have been care-
fully pierced with an auger; the axe, how-
ever, is generally uſed, becauſe the ſap diſtils
much faſter from the wound made by it than
from that made by an auger, and it is always
an object with the farmer, to have the ſap
brought home, and boiled down as ſpeedily as
poſſible, in order that the making of ſugar
may not interfere with his other agricultural
purſuits. The ſeaſon for tapping the trees
is when the ſap begins to riſe, at the com-
mencement of ſpring, which is juſt the time
that the farmer is moſt buſied in making
preparations for ſowing his grain.
It is a very remarkable fact, that theſe trees,

aſter

M API TIA 38

after having been tapped for ſix or ſeven ſue-
ceſſive years, always yield more ſap than they
do on being firſt wounded ; this ſap, however,
is not ſo rich as that which the trees diſtil for
the firſt time; but from its coming in an in-
creaſed portion, as much ſugar is generally
procured from a fingle tree on the fifth or

lixth year of its being tapped as on the firſt.
The maple is the only fort of raw ſugar
made uſe of in the country parts of Canada;
it is very generally uſed alſo by the inhabitants
of the towns, whither it is brought for ſale
by the country people who attend the markets,
juit the ſame as any other kind of country
produce. The moſt common form in which
it is ſeen is in loaves or thick round cakes,
preciſely as it comes out of the veſſel where
it is boiled down from the ſap. Theſe cakes
are of a very dark colour in general, and very
hard; as they are wanted they are ſcraped
down with a knife, and when thus reduced
into powder, the ſugar appears of a much
lighter caſt, and not unlike Welt Indian muſ-
covada or grained ſugar. If the maple ſugar
be carefully boiled with lime, whites of eggs,
blood, or any of the other articles uſually em-
ployed for clarifying ſugar, and properly gra-
nulated, by the draining off of the melaſſes,
it is by no means inferior, either in point of
ſtrength, flayour, or appearance to the eve, to
any

r
W -

384 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

any. Weſt Indian ſugar whatſoever : ſimply
boiled down into cakes with milk or whites
of eggs it is very agreeable to the taſte.

The ingenious Dr. Nooth, of Quebec, who
is at the head of the general hoſpital in Ca-
nada, has made a variety of experiments upon
the manufacture of maple ſugar ; he has gra-
nulated, and alſo refined it, ſo as to render it
equal to the beſt lump ſugar that is made in
England. To convince the Canadians alſo,
who are as incredulous on ſome points as they
are credulous on others, that it was really maple
ſugar which they ſaw thus refined, he has
contrived to leave large lumps, exhibiting the

ſugar in its different ſtages towards refinement,

the lower part of the lumps being left hard,
ſimilar to the common cakes, the middle part
granulated, and the upper part refined.

Dr. Nooth has calculated, that the ſale of
the melaſſes alone would be fully adequate to

the expence of refining the maple ſugar, if a
manufactory for that purpoſe were eſtabliſhed,
Some attempts have been made to. eſtabliſh
one of the kind at Quebec, but they have never
ſucceeded, as the perſons by whom they were
made were adventurers that had not ſufficient
capitals for ſuch an undertaking. It ought
not, however, to be concluded from this, that
a manufactory of the ſort would not ſucceed if

conducted by judicious 8. that had ample
funds

funds for the buſineſs; on the contrary, it is
highly probable that it-would anſwer.

There is great reaſon alſo to ſuppoſe, that a
manufactory for making the ſugar from the
beginning, as well as for refining it, might be
eſtabliſhed with advantage.

Several acres together are often met with
in Canada, entirely covered with maple trees
alone; but the trees are moſt uſually found
growing mixed with others, in the proportion
of from thirty to fifty maple trees to every
acre. Thouſands and thouſands of acres might
be procured, within a very ſhort diſtance of
the River St. Lawrence, for leſs than one
ſhilling an acre, on each of which thirty maple
trees would be found; but ſuppoſing that
only twenty-five trees were found on each
acre, then on a track' of five thouſand acres,
ſuppoſing each tree to produce five pounds
of ſugar, 5,580 cwt. 2 qrs. 12 lbs. of ſugar
might be made annually.

The maple tree attains a growth ſufficient
for yielding five pounds of ſugar annually in
the ſpace of twenty years; as the oaks and
cther kinds of trees, therefore, were cut away
for different purpoſes, maples might be planted
In their room, which would be ready to be
tapped by the time that the old maple trees
failed. Moreover, if theſe trees were planted
out in rows regularly, the trouble of collect-

Vor. I, Cc ing

. .

« — - _ - — 2 ꝓ—V— — —
— — — — — —
— — — — ——
2

— ⏑ ]
— — =

—

— — w

— <q
— — en

* p——

—

—— — NO RG

= Cen ————
*
—

1
2.
„
8 =
1
r
9

386 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA :

ing the ſap from them would be much leſs
than if they ſtood widely ſcattered, as they do

in their natural ſtate, and of courſe the ex-

pence of making the ſugar would be conſider-

ably leſſened. . Added to this, if young maples
were conſtantly ſet out in place of the other
trees, as they were cut down, the eſtate, at the
end of twenty years, would yield ten times
as much ſugar as it did originally.

It has been aflerted, that the difficulty of
maintaining horſes and men in the woods at
the ſeaſon of the year proper for making the
ſugar would be ſo great, as to render every
plan for the manufactory of the ſugar on an
extenſive ſcale abortive. This might be very
true, perhaps, in the United States, where the
ſubject has been principally diſcuſſed, and
where it is that this objection has been made;
but it would not hold good in Canada. Many
tracks, containing five thouſand acres each,
of ſugar maple land, might be procured in
various parts of the country, no part of any of
which would be more than fix Engliſh miles
diſtant from a populous village. The whole
labour of boiling in each year would be over
in the ſpace of fix weeks; the trouble there-
fore of carrying food during that period, for
the men and horſes that were wanting for the
manufactory, from a village into the woods,

would be trifling, and a few huts might be
8 built

MAPLE SUGAR. 397

built for their accommodation in the woods
at a ſmall expence. |

The great labour requiſite for conveying
the ſap from the trees, that grow ſo far apart,
to the boiling houſe, has been adduced as an-
other objection to the eſtabliſhment of an
extenſive ſugar manufactory in the woods.

The ſap, as I have before obſerved, is col-
lected by private families, by ſetting a veſſel,

into which it drops, under each tree, and from
thence carried by hand to the place where it

is to be boiled. If a regular manufactory,
however, were eſtabliſhed, the ſap might be
conveyed to the boiling houſe with far leſs la-
bour; ſmall wooden troughs might be placed
under the wounds in each trees, by which
means the ſap might eaſily be conveyed to

the diſtance of twenty yards, if it were thought

neceflary, into reſervoirs. Three or four of
theſe reſervoirs might be placed on an acre,

and avenues opened through the woods, ſo as
to admit carts with proper veſſels to paſs from

one to the other, in order to convey the ſap
to the boiling houſes. Mere ſheds would an-
ſwer for boiling houſes, and theſe might be
erected at various different places on the eſtate,
in order to fave the trouble of carrying the ſap

a great way.
The expence of cutting down a few trees,
ſo as to clear an avenue for a cart, would not
1 be

388 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

be much ; neither would that of making the
ſpouts, and common tubs for reſervoirs, be
great in a country abounding with wocd ; the
quantity of labour ſaved by ſuch means would,
however, be very conſiderable.

When then, it is conſidered, that private
families, who have to carry the ſap by hand
from each tree to their own houſes, and often
at a conſiderable diſtance from the woods, in
order to hoil it, can, with all this labour, afford
to ſell ſugar, equally good with that which
comes from the Welt Indies, at a much lower
price than what the latter is ſold at; when it
is conſidered alſo, that by going to the ſmall
expence, on the firſt year, of making a few
wooden ſpouts and tubs, a very great portion
of labour would be ſaved, and of courſe the
profits on the ſale of the ſugar would be far
greater; there is good foundation for think-
ing, that if a manufactory were eſtabliſhed on
ſuch a plan as I have hinted at, it would an-
ſwer extremely well, and that maple ſugar
would in a ſhort time become a principal ar-
ticle of foreign commerce in Canada.

The ſap of the maple tree is not only uſe-
ful in yielding ſugar ; moſt excellent vinegar
may likewiſe be made from it. In company
with ſeveral gentlemen I taſted vinegar made
from it by Dr. Nooth, allowed by every one
preſent to be much ſuperior to.the beſt French

white

AIR AND CLIMATE. 389

white wine vinegar; for at the ſame time that
it poſſeſſed equal acidity, it had a more deli-
cious flavour.

Good table beer may likewiſe be made
from the ſap, which many would miſtake for
malt liquor.

If diſtilled, the ſap affords a very fine ſpirit.

The air of Lower Canada is extremely
pure, and the climate is deemed uncommonly
ſalubrious, except only in the weſtern parts
of the province, high up the River St. Law
rence, where, as is the caſe in almoſt every
part of the United States ſouth of New Eng-
land, between the ocean and the mountains,
the inhabitants ſuffer to a great degree from
intermittent fevers. From Montreal down-
wards, the climate reſembles very much that
of the ſtates of New England; the people
live to a good old age, and intermittents are
quite unknown. This great difference in the
healthineſs of the two parts of the province
muſt be attributed to the different aſpects of
the country; to the eaſt, Lower Canada, like
New England, is mountainous, but to the weſt
it is an extended flat.

The extremes of heat and cold in Canada
are amazing ; in the months of July and
Auguſt the thermometer, according to Fahren-
heit, is often known to riſe to 965, yet a winter
ſcarcely paſſes over but even the mercury itſelf

Cc'3 freezes

399 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

freezes. Thoſe very ſudden tranſitions, how.
ever, from heat to cold, ſo common in the
United States, and ſo very injurious to the
conſtitution, are unknown in Canada; the
ſeaſons alſo are much more regular.

The ſnow generally begins to fall in No-
vember; but ſometimes it comes down as
early as the latter end of October. This is the
moſt diſagreeable part of the whole year; the
air is then cold and raw, and the ſky dark and
gloomy; two days ſeldom paſs over together
without a fall either of ſnow or fleet. By the
end of the firſt or ſecond week, however, in
December, the clouds are generally diſſolved,
the froſt ſets in, the ſky aſſumes a bright and
azure hue, and for weeks together i it continues
the ſame, without being obſcured by a ſingle
cloud.

The greateſt degree of cold which they ex-
perience in Canada, is in the month of January,
when for a few days it is ſometimes fo intenſe,
that it is impoſſible for a human being to
remain out of doors for any conſiderable time,
without evident danger of being froſt bitten.
Thele very cold days, however, do not come
altogether, but intervene generally at fome

little diftance from each other; and between

them, in the depth of winter, the air is ſome-
times ſo warm Tat people in exerciſe, in the

middle

WINTER AMUSEMENTS. 351
middle of the day, feel diſpoſed to lay afide the
thick fur cloaks uſually worn out of doors.

Thoſe who have ever paſſed a winter in Ca-
nada, have by no means that dread of its ſe-
verity, which ſome would have who have never
experienced a greater degree of cold than what
is commonly-felt in Great Britain ; and as for
the Canadians themſelves, they prefer the win-
ter to every other ſeaſon; indeed I never met
with a Canadian, rich or poor, male or female,
but what was of- that opinion ; nor ou ght

this to excite our ſurpriſe, when it is conſi-

dered that they paſs the winter ſo very dif-
ferently from what we do. If a Canadian were
doomed to ſpend but ſix weeks only in the
country parts of England, when the ground
was covered with ſnow, I dare venture to ſay
that he would be as heartily tired of the ſame-
neſs which then pervaded the face of nature,
and as defirous of beholding a green field once
more, as any one of us.

Winter in Canada is the ſeaſon of general
amuſement. The clear froſty weather no
ſooner commences, than all thoughts about
bulineſs are laid aſide, and every one devotes
himſelf to pleaſure. The inhabitants meet in

convivial parties at each other's houſes, and

paſs the day with muſic, dancing, eard- play-
ing, and every ſocial entertainment that can

beguile the time. At Montreal, in particular,
Cc4 ſuch

- — — - — \ —
— — —
— —- — — — * 3
- — —

392 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

ſuch a conſtant and friendly intercourſe, is kept
up amongſt the inhabitants, that, as I have
often heard it mentioned, it appears then as if
the town were inhabited but by one large
family.

By means of their carioles or ſledges, the Ca-
nadians tranſport themſelves over the ſnow,
from place to place, in the moſt agrecable

manner, and with a degree of ſwiftneſs that ap-

pears almoſt incredible; for with the fame
horſe it is poſſible to go eighty miles in a day,
ſo light is the draft of one of theſe carriages,
and fo favourable is the ſnow to the feet of
the horſe, The Canadian cariole or ſledge is
calculated to hold two perſons and a driver ; it
15 uſually drawn by one horſe; if two horſes
are made uſe of, they are put one before the
other, as the track in the roads will not admit
of their going abreaſt. The ſhape of the car-
riage is varied according to fancy, and it is a
matter of emulation amongſt the gentlemen,
who ſhall have the handſomeſt one. There
are two diſtinct kinds, however, of carioles, the
open and the covered. The former is com-
monly ſomewhat like the body of a capriole,
put upon two iron runners or ſlides, ſimilar in
ſhape to the irons of a pair of ſkates; the lat-
ter conſiſts of the body of a chariot put on
runners in the ſame manner, and covered en-
tirely over with furs, which are found by ex-

perience

WINTER TRAVELLING. 393

perience to keep out the cold much better than
any other covering whatſoever. Covered ca-
rioles are not much liked, except for the pur-
poſe of going to a party in the evening; for the
great pleaſure of carioling conſiſts in ſeeing
and being ſeen, and the ladies always go out in
moſt ſuperb dreſſes of furs. The carioles glide
over the ſnow with great ſmoothneſs, and ſo
little noiſe do they make in ſliding along, that
it is neceſſary to have a number of bells at-
tached to the harneſs, or a perſon continually
ſounding a horn to guard againſt accidents.
The rapidity of the motion, with the ſound of
theſe bells and horns, appears to be very con-
ducive to cheerfulneſs, for you ſeldom fee a
dull face in a cariole. The Canadians always
take advantage of the winter ſeaſon to viſit
their friends who live at a diſtance, as travel-
ling is then ſo very expeditious ; and this is
another circumſtance which contributes, pro-
bably not a little, to render the winter ſo ex-
tremely agreeable in their eyes.

Though the cold is fo very intenſe in Ca-
nada, yet the inhabitants never ſuffer from it,
conſtant experience having taught them how to
guard againſt it effectually.

In the firſt place, by means of ſtoves they
keep their habitations as warm and comfort-
able as can be deſired. In large houſes they

generally have four or five ſtoves placed in the
hall,

Us
— 1
3
WF
2

304 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

hall, and in the apartments on the ground
floor, from whence flues paſs in different di-
rections through the upper rooms. Beſides
theſe ſtoves, they likewiſe frequently have
open fires in the lower apartments; it is more,
however, on account of the cheerful appear-
ance they give to the room, than for the ſake
of the warmth they communicate, as by the
ſtoves the rooms can be heated to any degree.
Leſt any cold blaſts ſhould penetrate from
without, they have alſo double doors, and if the
houſe ſtands expoſed, even double windows,
about fix inches apart. The windows are
made to open lengthwiſe in the middle, on
hinges, like folding doors, and where they
meet they lock together in a deep groove;
windows of this deſcription, when cloſed, are

found to keep out the cold air much better

than the common ſaſhes, and in warm weather
they are more agreeable than any other fort, as
they admit more air when opened. Nor do
the inhabitants ſuffer froin cold-when they go
abroad; for they never ſtir out without firſt
wrapping themſelves up in furs from head to
foot. Their caps entirely cover the ears, the
back of the neck, and the greateſt part of the
face, leaving nothing expoſed except the eyes
and noſe; and their large and thick cloaks ef-
fectually ſecure the bod, ; beſides which they

wear fur gloves, muffs, and ſhoes,
| It

DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 355

It is ſurpriſing to, ſee how well the Ca-
nadian horſes ſupport the cold ; after ſtanding
for hours together in the open air at a time
when ſpirits will freeze, they ſet off as alertly
as if it were ſummer. The French Canadians
make vo ſcruple to leave their horſes ſtanding
at the door of a houſe, without any covering,
in the coldeſt weather, while they are them-
ſelves taking their pleaſure. None of the
other domeſtic animals are as indifferent to the
cold as the horſes. During winter all the do-
meſtic animals, not excepting the poultry, are
lodged together in one large ſtable, that they
may keep each other warm; but in order to
avoid the expence of feeding many through
the winter, as ſoon as the froſt ſets in they
generally kill cattle and poultry ſufficient to
laſt them till the return of ſpring. The ear-
caſes are buried in the ground, and covered
with a heap of ſnow, and as they are wanted
they are dug up; vegetables are laid up in the
ſame manner, and they continue very good
throughout the whole winter. The markets
in the towns are always ſupplied beſt at this
ſeaſon, and proviſionsare then alſo the cheapeſt;
for the farmers having nothing elfe to engage
them, and having a quantity of meat on hand,
that is never injured from bemg ſent to mar-
ket, flock to the towns in their carioles in great
numbers, and always well ſupplied.

The

—_— "CA

=
— p— —

13
28

- —

—
—

1 af
=

——

— 7

—— — —— - — -
— — >» A —

—— ¶ů «3 — ˙ X — ⅛ üÜW — ˙² P — — __—— —
- — — —

2: ==

* of

DEITY FT = \
o PIETY
I FRESH —_ - W
* G Fl [1 * by 4< = 4

W = * 5 of
CO.
+ Et > Si.

Rs br ton Dade

y
my 4 __ * * * PIN =

Y AI”

e OE ITY
0, _— , 299 1
n bs Rt

* 9 - 1
0 —ᷣ
*

396 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

The winter generally continues till the lat-
ter end of April, and ſometimes even till May,
when a thaw comes on very ſuddenly. The
ſnow ſoon diſappears; but it is a long time
before the immenſe bodies of ice in the rivers
are diſſolved. The ſcene which preſents itſelf
on the St. Lawrence at this ſeaſon is moſt
tremendous. The ice firſt begins to crack
from fide to fide, with a report as loud as that
of a cannon. Afterwards, as the waters be-

come ſwollen by the melting of the ſnow, it

is broken into pieces, and hurried down the
ſtream with prodigious impetuoſity; but its
courſe is often interrupted by the iflands
and ſhallow places in the river; one large
piece is perhaps firſt ſtopped, other pieces
come drifting upon that, and at length
prodigions heaps are accumulated, in ſome
places rifing ſeveral yards above the level of
the water. Sometimes theſe mounds of ice are
driven from the iſlands or rocks, upon which
they have accumulated, by the wind, and are
floated down to the ſea in one entire body : if
in going down they happen to ſtrike againſt
any of the rocks along the ſhore, the craſh is
horrible: at other times they remain in the
ſame ſpot where they were firſt formed, and
continue to obſtruct the navigation of the
river for weeks after every appearance of froſt
is baniſhed on ſhore; ſo very widely alſo dg
| they

T H A W. 397

they frequently extend in particular parts of
the river, and ſo ſolid are they at the ſame
time, that in croſſing from ſhore to ſhore, the
people, inſtead of being at the trouble of going
round them, make directly for the ice, diſem-
bark upon it, drag their bateaux or canoes
acroſs, and launch them again on the oppoſite
ſide. As long as the ice remains in the St.
Lawrence, no ſhips attempt to paſs up or
down ; for one of theſe large bodies of ice is
equally dangerous with a rock.

The rapid progreſs of vegetation in Canada,
as ſoon as the winter is over, is moſt aſton-
iſhing. Spring has ſcarcely appeared, when
you find it is ſummer. In a few days the
fields are clothed with the richeſt verdure,
and the trees obtain their foliage. The vari-
ous productions of the garden come in after
each other in quick ſucceſſion, and the grain
ſown in May affords a rich harveſt by the
latter end of July.” This part of the year, in
which ſpring and ſummer are ſo happily
blended together, is delightful beyond deſcrip-
tion ; nature then puts on her gayeſt attire; at
the ſame time the heat is never found op-
preſſive; it is ſeldom that the mercury in
Fahrenheit's thermometer then riſes above
84*: in July and Auguſt the weather becomes
warmer, and a few days often intervene when

the heat is overcoming ; during theſe months
the

T , ̃— RTE
N = = l 1 4, * = | | [ES - F - : =

398 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

the mercury ſometimes riſes to 96“. There
is a great difference, however, in the weather
at this ſeaſon in different years: during the
' whole of the time that I was in the country, I
never obſerved the thermometer higher than
88”; for the greater part of the months of July
and Auguſt it was not higher than 80?, and for
many days together it did not rife beyond 65
between Quebec and Montreal.

The fall of the year is a moſt agreeable
ſeaſon in Canada, as well as the ſummer.

It is obſerved, that there is in general a dif-
ference of about three weeks in the length of
the winter at Montreal and at Quebec, and of
courſe in the other ſeaſons. When green
peas, ſtrawberries, &c. were entirely gone at
Montreal, we met with them in full ſeaſon at

Quebec.

1 399 J

LETTER XXVII.

Inhabitants of Lower Canada. — Of the Tenures
by which Lands are held.—Net favourable
to the Improvement of the Country. — Same
Osſervations thereon. — Advantages of ſettling
in Canada and the United States compared.
Why Emigrations to the latter Country are
more general. — Deſcription of a Journey to
Stoneham Townſhip near Quebec Deſcription
of the River St. Cbarle. 0, Lake St.
Charles—Of Stonebam Townſhip.

Quebec.
ABOUT five-ſixths of the inhabitants of

Lower Canada are of French extraction,
the bulk of whom are peaſants, living upon
the lands of the ſeigniors. Amongſt the Eng-
liſn inhabitants devoted to agriculture, but
tew, however, are to be found occupying land
under ſeigniors, notwithſtanding that ſeveral of
the ſeigniories have fallen into the hands of
Engliſhmen ; the great majority of them hold
the lands which they cultivate by virtue of
certificates from the governor, and theſe people
for the moſt part reſide in the weſtern parts of
the province, bordering upon the upper parts
of the river St. Lawrence.

The

FE r
— CER = l EN o | ==

456 TRAVLES THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

The ſeigniors, both French and Engliſh,
live in a plain ſimple ſtyle; for although the
ſeigniories in general are extenſive, but few of
them afford a very large income to the. pro-
prietors.

The revenues of a ſeigniory ariſe from cer-
tain fines called lods and 'vents, which are paid
by the vaſſals on the alienation of property,
as when a farm, or any part of it, is divided
by a vaſſal, during his lifetime, amongſt his
fons, or when any other than the immediate
iſſue of a vaſſal ſuccceds to his eſtate, &c. &c.
The revenues ariſe alſo from certain fines paid
on the granting of freſh lands to the vaſlals,
and from the profits of the mills of the ſeig-
nior, to which the vaſſals are bound to ſend
all their corn to be ground.

This laſt obligation is ſometimes extremely
irkſome to the 511 when, for inſtance, on a
large ſeigniory there is not more than one
mill; for although it ſhould be ten miles diſtant
from his habitation, and he could get his corn
ground on better terms cloſe to his own door,
yet he cannot ſend it to any other mill than

that belonging to the ſeignior, under a heavy

penalty.

The extent of ſeigniorial rights in Canada,
particularly in what relates to the levying of
the lods and vents, ſeems to be by no means
Clearly aſcertained, ſo that where the ſeignior

| happens

S EIGNIORIEZ S. 491

happens to be a man of a rapacious diſpoſition,
the vaſſal is ſometimes compelled to pay fines,
which, in ſtrict juſtice perhaps, ought not to
be demanded. In the firſt provincial aſſembly
that was called, this buſineſs was brought for-
ward, and the equity and policy was ſtrongly
urged by ſome of the Engliſh members that
poſſeſſed conſiderable abilities, of having pro-
per bounds fixed to the power of the ſeigniors,
and of having all the fines and ſervices due
from their vaſſals accurately aſcertained, and
made generally known: but the French mem-
bers, a great number of whom were themſelves
ſeigniors, being ſtrongly attached to old habits,
and thinking that it was conducive to their
intereſt that their authority ſhould ſtill con-
tinue undefined, oppoſed the meaſure with great
warmth ; and nothing was done.

Nearly all thoſe parts of Canada which were
inhabited when the country was under French
government, as well as the unoccupied lands
granted to individuals during the fame period,
are comprized under different ſeigniories, and
theſe, with all the uſages and cuſtoms thereto
formerly. pertaining, were confirmed to' the
proprietaries by the Quebec bill, which began
to be in force in May 1775 ; theſe lands,
therefore, are held by unqueſtionable titles.
All the waſte lands, however, of the crown,
that have been allotted ſince the conqueſt,

Nr. Io D d have

1 en e RICE
Fe 2 ae
1 r r

2 140 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:
1Y | have been granted ſimply by certificates of oc-
- cupation, or licences, from the governoł, giving
1 permiſſion to perſons who applied for theſe
1 lands to ſettle upon them, no patents, convey-
ing a clear poſſeſſion of them, have ever been
made out; it is merely by courteſy that they
are held; and if a governor thought proper to
reclaim them on the part of the crown, he
has only to ſay the word, and the titles of the
occupiers fink into air. Thus it is, that al-
though ſeveral perſons have expended large
= ſums of money in procuring, and afterwards
= improving townſhips *, none of them are yet
* enabled to ſell a ſingle acre as an indemnifi-
cation for theſe expences; at leaſt no title can
be given with what is offered for ſale, and it
is not therefore to be ſuppoſed, that purchaſers
of ſuch property will eaſily be found. It is
= true, indeed, that the different proprietaries of
1 theſe townſhips have been aſſured, on the part
1 of government, that patents ſhall be granted
to every one of them, and they are fully per-
ſuaded that theſe will be made out ſome time
or other; but they have in vain waited for them
for three years, and they are anziouſly waiting

for them ſtill . |

Different

* Tracts of waſte land, ufually ten miles ſquare.
4+ I received a letter, dated catly in the year 2796, from a

gentleman in Canada, who has taken up one of theſe town-
| | 5 "ſhips,

/SPECULATIONS. ' gy
Different motiyes have been aſſigned for this
conduct on the part of the Britiſh government.
In the firſt] place it has been alledged, that the
titles are withheld, in order to prevent ſpecu-
lation and land-jobbing from riſing to the ſame
height in Canada as they * * in tho
United States.

It is a notorious fact, that in hh United
States land-jobbing has led to a ſemes of the
moſt nefarious practices, whereby numbers
have already ſuffered, and by whicli ſtill greater
numbers muſt ſuffer hereafter. N the ma-
chinations of a few intereſted individuals who
have contrived by various methods to get im-
menſe tracts * of waſte land into tir poſſeſ-
ſion, fictitious demands have bęen created in
the market for land, the price of it has con-
ſequently been enhanced much beyond its in-

ſhips, which contains the following paragraph: « At preſent the
« matter remains in an unſettled flate, although every ſtep has
« been taken on my part to accelerate the completion of the
* buſineſs, Mr. Ds patent, which was ſent home as a
model, is not yet returned. I received a letter lately from
Mr. Secretary R. in which he informs me, that Mr,
« — is again returned to the ſurveyor's office, and he
« aſſures me, that in conjunction with him, he will do every
thing in his power to expedite my obtaining a patent. The
© povernor, he ſays, means that the land buſineſs Wand go for-
« ward.”

There have been many inſtances in the United States of
a ſingle individual's holding upwards of three millions of
acres at one time, and ſome few individuals have been known
io hold even twice that quantity at once.

Das :..;;.., ; trinkis

4%. TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:
trinſic worth, and theſe perſons have then
taken the opportunity of ſelling what they had
on hand at an enormous profit. The wealth
that has' been accumulated by particular per-
tons in the United States, in this manner, is
prodigious; and numberleſs others, witneſſes
AF to their profperity, have been tempted to make
= purchaſes of land, in hopes of realizing for-
Y tunes in a ſimilar way, by ſelling out ſmall
portions'at an advanced price. Thus it is that
the nomiffal value of waſte land has been
= raiſed fo faddenly in the United States; for
I | large tract, which ten years before were ſelling
4 for a few pence per acre, have ſold in num-
berleſs inſtances, lately, for dollars per acre, an
I augmentation in price which the increaſe of
c k population alone would ꝓy no means have
. occaſioned, Eſtates, like articles of merchan-
1 dize, have paſſed, before they have ever been
improved, through the hands of dozens of
people, who never perhaps were within five
hundred miles of them, and the conſumer or
4 farmer, in conſequence of the profits laid on by
5 theſe people, to whom they have ſeverally be-
2 longed, has had frequently to pay a moſt exor-
bitant price for the little ſpot which he has

purchaſed .

Speculation

„ In the beginning of the year 1796, this traffic was
at its higheſt pitch, and at this time General Waſhington, ſo

eminently diſtinguiſhed for bis prudence and a”
ceiv

1 u

"LAND:TOWETN'G/ 7 465

| Speculation and land-jobbing carried to ſuch
« pitch: cannot but be deemed great evils in
the community; and to prevent them from ex-
tending into Canada appears to be an object
well worthy the attention of government; but

it ſeems unneceſſary to have recourſe for that

purpoſe to the very exceptionable meaſure of
withholding a good title to all lands granted
by the crown, a meaſure diſabling. the land-
holder from taking the proper ſtopStoumprove
his eſtate, which gives riſe to diſtruſt and ſuſ-
picion, and materially impedes” oy gang
proſperity of the country.

It appears to me, that hand- jobbing could
never arrive at ſuch a height in Canada as to

be productive of ſumilar evils to thoſe already

ſprung up from i in the United States, ar
ſimilar to thoſe further ones with which the
country is threatened, if no more land were
granted by the. cron, to any one individual,
than a townſhip of ten thouſand acres; or

ceiving that land had riſen beyond its actual value, and per-
ſuaded that it could not riſe higher for ſome years to come, ad-
vertiſed for ſale every acre of which he was poſſeſſed, except
the farms of Mount Vernon. The event ſhewed how accurate
his judgment was. In the cloſe of the year, one of the great
land-jobbers, diſappointed in his calculations, was obliged to
abſcond ; the land trade was ſhaken to its very foundation :
bankruptcies ſpread like wildfire from one great city to an-
other, and men that had begun to build palaces found them-

{elves likely to have no better habitation for a time than the

common gaol.

D d 3 ſhould

496 TRAVELS THROUGH; LOWER: CANADA:

ſhould ĩt be thought that grants of ſuch an æxx-
tent even opened too wide a field for ſpecu-
lation, certain reſtrictions might be laid upon
the grantee; he might be bound to improve
his townſhip by a clauſe in the patent, in-
validating the ſale of more than a fourth or
fifth of it unleſs to actual ſettlers, until a cer-
tain number of people ſhould be reſident
thereon *. Such a clauſe would effectually pre-
vent the evil; for it is the granting of very
extenſive tracts of waſte lands to individuals,
without binding them in any way to improve
them, which . riſe to ſpeculation and
ä 1140 10% 4 H

By others it is — that the with
holding of clear titles, tothe lands is a mea»
ſure adopted merely ; fox the purpoſe of pre-
venting a diminution of the inhabitants from
taking place by emigration.

Not only townſhips have been Gn by
en of occupation, but alſo numberleſs
ſmall portions of land, from one hundred acres
upwards, particularly in Upper Canada, to
royaliſts and others, who have at different pe-

The plan of binding every perſon that ſhould take up
a townſhipto improve it, by providing a certain number of ſet-
tlers, has not wholly eſcaped the notice of government; for
in the licences of occupation, by which each townſhip is allot-
ted, it is ſtipulated, that every perſon ſhall provide forty ſettlers
for his townſhip ; but as no given time is mentioned for the

procuring of theſe _ the ſtipulation becomes nugatory.
| riods

E M IGR AT ION $67

riods emigrated from the United States. Theſe
people have all of them improved their ſeveral
allotments.. By withholding any better title,
therefore, than that of à certificate, they are
completely tied down to their farms, unleſs,
indeed, they think proper to abandon them,
together with the fruits of many years labour,
without receiving any compenſation _—_

ever for ſo doing, |
It is not probable, however, that theſe. peo-
ple, if they had a clear title to their lands,
would return back to the United States; the
royaliſts, who were driven out of the country
by the ill treatment of the other inhabitants,
certainly would not; nor would the others,
who: have voluntarilly quitted the country, re-
turn, whilſt ſelf-intereſt, which led them ori-
ginally to come into Canada, operated in favour
of their remaining there. It was the proſpect
of getting land. on advantageous terms which
induced them to emigrate; land is ſtill a
cheaper article in Canada than in the United
States; and as there is much more waſte land
in the former, than in the latter country, in
proportion to the number of the inhabitants,
it will probably continue ſo for a length of time
to come. In the United States, at preſent, it
is impoſſible to get land without paying for it;
and in parts of the country where the ſoul is
rich, and where ſome ſettlements ate already
D dA made,

* 4% TRAVELS THROUGH-LOWER CANADA:
_ made, a tract of land, ſufficient for a mode-
: rate farm, is ſcarcely to be procured under
hundreds of dollars. In Canada, however, a
man has only to make application to govern-
ment, and on his taking the oath of allegiance,
he immediately gets one hundred acres of ex-
cellent uncleared land, in the neighbourhood
of other ſettlements, gratis; and if able to im-
prove it directly, he can get even a larger
quantity. But it is a fact worthy of notice,
which baniſhes every ſuſpicion relative to a
diminution of the inhabitants taking place by
emigrations into the States, that great num-
bers of people from the States actually emigrate
into Canada annually, whilſt none of the Ca-
nadians, who have it in their power to diſ-
poſe of their property, emigrate into the United
States, except, indeed, a very few of thoſe
who have reſided in the towns. ö
According to the opinion of others again,
it is not for either of the purpoſes already men-

- tioned, that clear titles are withheld to the
= lands granted by the crown, but for that of
_ binding down to their good behaviour the peo-
2 ple of each province, more particularly the

Americans that have emigrated from the States
3 lately, who are regarded by many with an eye
* of ſuſpicion, notwithſtanding they have taken
4 the oaths of allegiance to the crown. It is
very unfair, however, to imagine that theſe

people

O0 BS ERNVATION S. 409
= would be ready to revolt a 8 time
from Great Britain, if they were made ſtill
more independent than they are now, merely
becauſe they did fo on a former occaſion, when
their liberties and rights as men and as ſubjects
of the Britiſh empire were ſo-ſhamefully-difre-
garded z on the contrary, were, clear titles
granted with the lands beſtowed by the crown
on them, and the other ſubjects of the pro-
vince, inſtead of giving riſe to diſaffection,
there is every teaſon to think it would make
them ſtill more loyal, and more attached to the
Britiſh government, as no invidious diſtino-
tions could then be drawn between the con-
dition of the landholders in the States and
thoſe in Canada. The material riglits and li-
berties of the people would then be full as ex-
tenſive in the one country as in the other and
as no poſitive advantage could be gained by a
revolt, it is not likely that Americans, of all
people in the world the moſt devoted ta ſelſ-
intereſt, would expoſe their perſons and pod
perties in ſuch an attempt.

If, however, the Americans from the States
are people that would abuſe ſuch favours from
the crown, why were they admitted into the
province at all? The government might eaſily
have kept them out, by refuſing to them any
grants of lands; but at any rate, were it thought
expedient to admit them, and were ſuch mea-

ſures

fro TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

ſures neceſſary to keep them in due ſubjection,
it ſeems hard that the ſame meaſures ſhould
be adopted in regard to the inhabitants of thę
province, who ſtood firm to the Britiſh g-
verninent, even at the time when the people
in very other part of the continent revolted-

For Whatever reaſon this ſyſtem of not
granting une xceptionable titles'wit the land,

which'ithe-crowy voluntarily beſtows on its
fart hful ſubj ects, has been adopted) one thing
appears evidentʒꝭ namely, that it has very con-
niderably retarded the improvement of both
the provinces; and indeed, as long as it Js
continued, they muſt both remain very back.
ward countries, compared with any of the ad.
joining ſtates Were an oppoſite ſyſtem, how-
ever, put ſued, and the lands granted merely
vrith ſuc h reſtrictions as were found abſo-
lutely n<cciiary, in- order to prevent jobbing,
the happy effects of a meaſure of that nature
would ſoon become viſible; the face of the
country would be quickly meliorated, and it is
probable that there would not be any part of
North America, where they would, after a ſhort
period, be able to boaſt that e dee had

ö taken place more rapidly.

It is very certain, that were the lands granted
zn this manner, many more people would an-
nually emigrate into Canada from the United

| es than at preſent; ſor there are numbers
who

O BS ERVATION S. -4a8

who come yearly into the country to“ explore
it,” that return back ſolely becauſe they can-
not get lands with an indiſputable title; I have
repeatedly met with theſe people myſelf in
Upper Canada, and have heard them expreſs
the utmoſt diſappointment at not being able
to get lands on ſuch terms even for money;
I have heard others in the States alſo ſpeak to
the ſame purport after they had been in Ca-
nada; it is highly probable, moreover, that
many of the people, who leave Great Britain
and Ireland for America, would then be ifi
duced to ſettle in Canada inſtead of the United
States, and the Britiſh empire would not, in
that caſe, loſe, as it does now, thouſands of
valuable citizens every year. 9900447
What are the general inducements, may
here be alked; to people to quit Great Britain
for the United States? Fhey have been ſum-
med up by Mr. Cooper *, in his letters pub-
liſhed in 1794, on the ſubject of emigrating
to America; and we cannot have A 1
the whole, to better authority. 13
In my mind,” he fays, the firſt and: prin=

„ cipal inducement to a perſon to quit Eng-
« land for America is, the total abſence of anx-

8 Mr. Cooper, late of Manchefter, who emigrated to yy
rica with all his family, and whoſe authority has been very ge-
nerally quoted by the Americans who haye fince written on the
{ubje& of emig ration.

* iety

-4rz TRAVELS THROUGH' LOWER CANADA:
4 iety reſpecting the future ſucceſs of a family,
There is little fault to find with the govern-
« ment of America, that is, of the United
« States, either in principle or practice. There
te are few taxes to pay, and thoſe are of ac.
* knowledged neceſſity, and moderate in
« amount. There are no animoſities about re-
« lipion, and it is a ſubject about which few
. queſtions areaſked ; there are few reſpecting
political men or political meaſures; the pre-
«« {ent writation of men's minds in Great Bri-
e tain, and the diſcordant ſtate of fociety on
« political accounts, is not known there,
* The government is the government of the
'* people, and for the people. There are no
* tythes nor game laws; and excite laws upon
« ſpirits only, and ſimilar to the Britiſh only in
«© name. There are no great men of rank, not
* many of great riches ; nor have the rich the
a power of oppreſſing the leſs. rich, for poverty
« jg almoſt unknown; nor are the ſtteets
& crowded with beggars. : You ſee no where
« the diſguſting and melancholy contraſt, ſo
* common in Europe, of vice and filth, and
* rags and wretchedneſs, in the immediate
e neighbourhood of the moſt wanton extrava-
gance, and the moſt uſeleſs and luxurious pa-
© rade; nor are the common people fo de-
* praved as in Great Britain. Quarrels are
* uncommon, and boxing matches unknown
« in

OBSERVATIONS. 45

in the ſtreets. There are no military to
« keep the people in awe. Robberies are very
* rare, All theſe are real advantages; but
great as they are, they do not weigh with
*« me ſo much as the ſingle conſideration firſt
mentioned.“

Any perſon that has travelled generally
through the United States muſt acknowledge,
that Mr. Cooper has here ſpoken with great
partiality; for as to the morality and good
order that prevails amongſt the people, he has
applied to all of them what only holds true
with reſpect to thoſe who live in the moſt im-
proved parts of the country.

He is extremely inaccurate alſo, in repre-

ſenting the people of the States as free from

all animoſities about political meaſures; on
the contrary, thore is no country on the face
of the globe, perhaps, where party ſpirit runs
higher, where political ſubjects are more fre-
quently the topic of converſation amongſt all
clafles, and where ſuch ſubjects are more fre-
quently the cauſe of rancorous diſputations and
laſting differences amongſt the people. I have
repeatedly been in towns where one half of the
inhabitants would ſcarcely deign to ſpeak to
the other half, on account of the difference of
their political opinions; and it is ſcarcely poſ-
ſible, in any part of the country, to remain for
a few hours im a mixed company of men, with-

3 out

— —
— — — —

, bd bY, ag | 2 N | [0
= _ _ = 1 1 ny LY l E +

* *
RY

414 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

out witneſſing ſome acrimonious dupute from
the ſame cauſe.

Let-us, however, compare Is inducements
which he holds out to people in England to
leave that country for America, that is, for the
United States, with the inducements there
would be to ſettle in Canada, under the pre-
miſed ſuppoſition, that the land was there
granted in an unexceptionable manner.

From the land being plentiful in Canada,
and conſequently at a very low price, but likely
to increaſe in value, whilit in the States, on
the contrary, it has riſen to an exorbitant value,
beyond which it is not likely to riſe for ſome
time to come, there can be no doubt but that
a man of moderate property could provide for
his family with much more eaſe in Canada
than in the United States, as far as land were
his object.

In Canada, alſo, there is a much greater
opening for young men acquainted with any
buſineſs or profeſſion that can be carried on in
America, than there is in the United States.
The expence of ſettling in Canada would be
far leſs alſo than in any one of the States ; for
in the former country the neceſſaries and con-

veniencies of life are remarkably cheap, whilſt,

on the contrary, in the other they are far dearer

than in England; a man therefore would cer-

tainly have no greater anxiety about the future
ſucceſs

OBSERV.ATHONS 415

ſucceſs of a family in Canada than in the
United States, and the ahſence of this anxiety,
according to Mr. Cooper, ij the great induce-
ment to ſettle in the States, | which weight with
bim more than all other confiderations; put to-
gether. |

The taxes of Lower Canada have already i
been enumerated ; they are of acknowledged
neceſſity, and much lower in amount and num- |
ber than thoſe paid in the States.

There are no animoſities in Canada about
religion, and people of all perſuaſions are on a |
perfect equality with each other, except, in- |
deed, it be the proteſtant diſſenters, who may |
happen to live on lands that were ſubject to
tithes under the French government; they |
have to pay tithes to the Engliſh epiſcopalian i
clergy ; but there is not a diſſenter living on
tithe lands, perhaps, in the whole province, 1
The lands granted ſince the conqueſt are not i
liable to tithes. The Engliſh epiſcopalian
clergy are provided for by the crown out of the
waſte lands; and all diſſenters have amply to
pay their own clergy.

There are no game laws in Canada, nor any
exciſe laws whatſoever.

As for the obſervation made by Mr. Cooper
in reſpect to the military, it is almoſt too futile
to deſerve notice. If a ſoldier, however, be

an ke) of terror, the timid man will not find
himſelf

.
—

9 . wa * «ty * | A . LES
37 1 I I T—_— ARRTT.. \
= ASS . ef. LA CS rern

416 TRAVELS THROUGH' LOWER CANADA:

himſelf at eaſe in the United States any more
than in England, as he will meet with foldiers
in New York, on Governor's Ifland, at Mifflin
Fort near Philadelphia, at the forts on the
North River, at Niagara, at Detroit, and at
Oſwego, &c. on the lakes, and all through the
weſtern country, at the different poſts which
were eſtabliſhed by General Wayne.

In every other reſpe&t, what Mr. Cooper
has faid of the United States holds good with
regard to Canada ; nay more, it muſt certainly
m addition be allowed by every unprejudiced
perſon that has been in both countries, that
morality and good order are much more con-
ſpicuous amongſt the Canadians of every de-
ſcription, than the people of the States ;
drunkenneſs is undoubtedly much leſs com-
mon amongſt them, as is gambling, and alſo
quarrels. |

But independent of theſe inducements to
ſettle in Canada, there is ſtill another circum-
ſtance which ought- to weigh greatly with
every Britiſh emigrant, according to the opi-
nion even of Mr. Cooper himſelf. After ad-
viſing his friends © to go where land is cheap
« and fertile, and where it is in a progreſs of
* improvement,” he recommends them “ to
ee go ſomewhere, if poſlible, in the neighbourhood
« of a few Engliſh, whoſe ſociety, even in
* America, is intereſting to an Engliſh ſet-

« tier,

OBSERVATIONS. 417

« tler, who cannot entirely relinquiſh the ne-
« moria temporis acti; that is, as he parti-
cularly mentions in another paſſage, he
« will find their manners and converſation far
«© more agreeable than thoſe of the Americans,
and from being chiefly in their company, he
will not be ſo often tormented with the pain-
ful reflection, that he has not only left, but
abſolutely renounced his native country, and
the men whom he once held dear above all
others, and united himſelf, in their ſtead, with
people whoſe vain boaſts and ignorant aſſer-
tions, however harſh and grating they may
ſound to his ears, he muſt liſten to without
murmuring.

Now in Canada, particularly in Lower Ca-
nada, in the neighbourhood of Quebec and
Montreal, an Engliſh ſettler would find him-
ſelf ſurrounded by his countrymen ; and al-
though his moderate circumſtances ſhould
have induced him to leave England, yet he
would not be troubled with the diſagreeable
reflection that he had totally renounced his
native land, and: ſworn allegiance to a foreign
power; he would be able to conſider with
heartfelt ſatisfaction, that he was living under
the protection of the country. wherein he had
drawn his firſt breath; that he was contribut-
ing to her proſperity, and the welfare of many
of his countrymen, while he was ameliorating
his own fortune.
Vor. I. E e From

413 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA»

From a due conſideration of every one of
the before menrioned circumſtances, it ap-
pears evident to me, that there is no part of
America ſo ſuitable to an Engliſh or Iriſh ſet-
tler as the vicinity of Montreal or Quebec
in Canada, and within twenty miles of each
of theſe places there is ample room for thou-
ſands of additional inhabitants.

I muſt not omit here to give ſome account
of a new ſettlement in the neighbourhood of
Quebec, which I and my fellow travellers
viſited in company with ſome neighbouring

_ gentlemen, as it may in ſome degree tend to
confirm the truth of what I have ſaid reſpect-
ing the impolicy of withholding indiſputable
titles to the lands lately granted by the crown,
and as it may ſerve at the ſame time to ſhew
how many eligible ſpots for new ſettlements
are to be found in the neighbourhood of this
city. 20

We ſet off from Quebec in calaſhes, and
following, with a little deviation only, the
courſe of the River St. Charles, arrived on
the margin of the lake of the ſame name,
about twelve miles diſtant from Quebec.

The River St. Charles flows from the lake
into the baſon, near Quebec; at its mouth it
is about thirty yards wide, but not navigable
for boats, except for a few miles up, owing to
the numerous rocks and falls. In the —

RIVER AND LAKE ST. CHARLES. 419

of the year, when it is much ſwollen by floods,
rafts have been conducted down the whole
way from the lake, but this has not been ao-
compliſhed without great difficulty, ſome
danger, and a conſiderable loſs of time in paſ-
ſing the different portages. The diſtance
from the lake to Quebec being ſo ſhort, land
carriage muſt always be preferred to a water
conveyance along this river, except it be for
timber.

The courſe of the St. Charles is very irre-
gular ; in ſome places it appears almoſt ſtag-
nant, whilſt in others it ſhoots with wonder-
ful impetuoſity over deep beds of rocks.
The views upon it are very romantic, parti-
cularly in the neighbourhood of Lorette, a
village of the Huron Indians, where the river,
after falling in a beautiful caſcade over a ledge
of rocks, winds through a deep dell, ſhaded
on each ſide with tall trees.

The face of the country between Quebec
and the lake is extremely pleaſing, and in the
neighbourhood of the city, where the ſettle-"
ments are numerous, well cultivated; but as
you retire from it the ſettlements become
fewer and fewer, and the country of courſe
appears wilder. From the top of a hill, about
half a mile from the lake, which commands
a fine view of that and the adjacent country,

not more than five or ſix houſes are to be
Ee 2 ſeen

420 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

ſeen, and beyond theſe there is no ſettlement

beſide that on Stoneham townſhip, the one
under immediate notice.

On arriving at the lake, we found two
canoes in waiting for us, and embarked on
board. :

Lake St. Charles is about four miles and a
half in length, and its breadth on an average
about three quarters of a mile. It confiſts of
two bodies of water nearly of the ſame ſize ;
they communicate together by a narrow pals,
through which a ſmart current ſets towards
Quebec. The ſcenery along the lower part
of the lake is unintereſting, but along the
upper part of it the views are highly pictu-
reſque, particularly upon a firſt entrance
through the paſs. The lake is here inter-
ſperſed with large rocks; and cloſe to the
water on one fide, as far as the eye can reach,
rocks and trees appear blended together in
the moſt beautiful manner. The ſhores are
bold, and richly ornamented with hanging
woods ; and the head of the lake being con-
cealed from the view by ſeveral little promon-
tories, you are led to imagine that the body of
water is far more extenſive than in reality.
Towards the upper end the view is termi-
nated by a range of blue hills, which appear
at a diſtance, peeping over the tops of the tall

trees. When a few ſettlements come to be
made

STONEHAM TOWNSHIP: 4a

made here, open to the lake, for the land bor-
dering upon it is quite in its natural ſtate, this
muſt indeed be a heavenly little ſpot.

The depth of the water in the lake is about
eight feet, in ſome places more, in' others
leſs. The water is clear, and as feveral ſmall
ſtreams fall into it to ſupply what runs off
by the River St. Charles, it is kept conſtantly
in a ſtate of circulation; but it is not well
taſted, owing as is conceived to the bottom
being in ſome parts overgrown with weeds.
Prodigious numbers of bull frogs, however, are
found about the ſhores, which ſhews that
ſprings of good water abound near it, for thete
creatures are never met with but where the
water is of a good quality.

At the upper part of the lake we landed,
and having proceeded for about half a mile
over ſome low ground bare of trees, from
being annually flooded on the diſſolution of
the ſnow, we ſtruck into the woods. Here a
road newly cut ſoon attracted our attention,
and following the courſe of it for a mile or
two, we at laſt eſpied, through a ſudden open-
ing between the trees, the charming little ſet-
tlement.

The dwelling houſe, a neat boarded little
manſion painted white, together with the of-
fices, were ſituated on a ſmall eminence; to

the right, at the bottom of the ſlope, ſtood the
2 barn,

9. —_—_ — 7 „ W _— Y = = = 7% 3 "—_ j$ Fg W Ps Ta —_—— - - a * N Li aff FR = = 3 1 ul [as 0 i = TPO ISTH _
ve * 1 N 1888 9 * LES CF = = = F; bf © 0 1 1 " * 144 Ml = © \ 1 —y _ : = 4 * AT * " "of
HA T< hy ' ' [ 1 b = me b — & Y = o els 0 1 U — x - b = "Ro. y OO = - - N 0 .
fl . Wy * 8 n ws: A — * . 0 5 3 5 my SENNA a * 3 LY = 1 _ \ . 2 2 br = _ \ |
= b oh N 0 = = = : ” - HFS * 7 — 5 ez) AFL £1. * a i i l J 7 Tl Lo {== l 2 La l { - 3 *
iy N * © IY 8 r „ = * * = * 0 \ =.” 3 0 P =
K 8 Des br 4 8 8 : 2 f 9 h E | * bits Y a

PETS _
k FT R R
.

482 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

barn, the largeſt in all Canada, with a farm
yard exactly in the Engliſh ſtyle ; behind the

| barn was laid out a neat garden, at the bottom

of which, over a bed of gravel, ran a purling
ſtream of the pureſt water, deep enough, ex-
cept in a very dry ſeaſon, to float a large
canoe. A ſmall lawn laid down in graſs ap-
peared in front of the houſe, ornamented with
clumps of pines, and in its neighbourhood were
about ſixty acres of cleared land. The com-
mon method of clearing land in America is
to grub up all the bruſhwood and ſmall trees
merely, and to cut down the large trees about
two feet above the ground: the remaining
ſtumps rot in from ſix to ten years, according
to the quality of the timber; in the mean time
the farmer ploughs between them the beſt
way he can, and where they are very numer-
ous he is ſometimes obliged to uſe even the
ſpade or the hoe to turn up the ſoil. The
lands, however, at this ſettlement had been
cleared in a different manner, for the trees and
roots had all been grubbed up at once. This
mode of proceeding is extremely expenſive,
ſo that few of thoſe deſtined to make new ſet-
tlements could afford to adopt it; and, more-
over, it has not been accurately proved that
it is the moſt profitable one; but the appear-
ance of lands ſo cleared is greatly ſuperior to
thoſe cleared in the common method.

NEAT PF AR M 423

In another reſpect alſo the lands at this ſet.
tlement had been cleared in a ſuperior manner
to what is commonly to be met with in Ame-
rica; for large clumps of trees were left ad-
joining to the houſe, and each field was en-
circled with wood, whereby the crops were
ſecured from the bad effects of ſtorms. The
appearance of cultivated fields thus ſituated, as
it were, in the midſt of a foreſt, was incon-
ceivably beautiful.

The economy of this little farm equalled
its beauty, The fields, neatly fenced in and
furniſhed with handſome gates, were cultivat-
ed according to the Norfolk ſyſtem of huſban-
dry, and had been brought to yield the moſt
plentiful crops of every different fort of grain z
the farm yard was filled with as fine cattle as
could be ſeen in any country; and the dairy
afforded excellent butter, and abundance of
good cheeſe.

Beſides the dwelling-houſe before mention-
ed, there were ſeveral log houſes on different
parts of this farm, inhabited by the people
who were engaged in clearing the land. All
theſe appeared delighted with the ſituation ;
nor were ſuch of them as had come a ſhort
time before from England at all diſpleaſed
with the climate ; they informed me, that they
had enjoyed perfect health from the moment
of their landing, and found no inconvenience

from

424 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA: .

from the intenſe cold of the winter ſeaſon,
which appears ſuch an inſuperable objection
to many againſt ſettling in Canada.

This ſettlement, together with the town-
ſhip it is ſituated upon, are the property of a
clergyman formerly reſident at Quebec. The
townſhip is ten miles ſquare, commencing
where the moſt remote of the old ſeigniories
end, that is, within eighteen miles of the city
of Quebec; but though within this ſhort
diſtance of a large city, it was almoſt totally
unknown until about five or ſix years ago,
when the preſent proprietor, with a party of
Indians and a few friends, ſet out himſelf to
examine the quality of the lands. They proved
to be rich ; the timber was luxuriant ; the face
of the country agreeably diverſified with hill
and dale, interſperſed with beautiful lakes, and
interſected by rivers and mill ftreams in every
direction. Situated alſo within fix miles of old
ſettlements, through which there were eſta-
bliſhed roads, being convenient to a market at
the capital of Canada, and within the reach of
ſociety at leaſt as agreeable, if not more ſo,
than is to be found in all America, nothing
ſeemed wanting to render it an eligible ſpot for
a new ſettlement; accordingly the proprietor
made application to government ; the land was
ſurveyed, the townſhip marked out, and it was

allotted

REFLECTIONS... as

allotted to him merely, however, by a certifi-
cate of occupation.

Several other gentlemen, charmed with the
excellent quality and beautiful diſpoſition of
the lands in this part of the country, have
taken'up adjoining townſhips ; but at none of
them have any ſettlements been made, nor is
it probable that any will be, until the proprie-
taries get better titles: indeed, it has excited
the ſurpriſe of a numerous ſet of people in the
province, to ſee even the little ſettlement I
have ſpoken of eſtabliſhed on land held under
ſuch a tenure. |

That unexceptionable titles may be ſpeedily
made out to theie lands is fincerely to be
hoped ; for may we not, Whenever that mea-
ſure ſhall take place, expect to {ee theſe
beautiful provinces, that have ſo long remain-
ed almoſt unknown, riſing into generai no-
tice ? May we not then expect to behold taein
increaſing rapidly in population, and making
haſty ſtrides towards the attainment of that
degree of proſperity and conſequence, which
their ſoil, climate, and many other natural ad-
vantages have ſo eminently qualified them for
enjoying? And ſurely the empire at large
would be greatly benefitted by ſuch a change
in the ſtate of Canada; for as the country in-
creaſed in population, it would increaſe in

Voit . Ff : riches,

CO ES

425 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

riches, and there would then be à proportion.
ably greater demand for Engliſh manufac-
tures; a ſtill greater trade would alſo be car-

. Tied on then between Canada and the Weſt

Indies than at preſent, to the great advantage
of both countries &; a circumſtance that
would give employment to a greater number
of Britiſh ſhips: as Canada alſo increaſed in
wealth, it would be enabled to.defray the ex-
pences of its own government, which at pre-
ſent falls ſo heavily upon the people of Great
Britain: neither is there reaſon to imagine
that Canada, if allowed to attain ſuch a ſtate
of proſperity, would be ready to diſunite her-
ſelf from Great Britain, ſuppoſing that Great
Britain ſhould remain as powerful as at pre-
ſent, and that Canada continued to be go-
verned with mildneſs and wiſdom; for ſhe
necd but turn towards the United States to be
convinced that the great maſs of her people
were in the poſſeſſion of as much happineſs

* All thoſe articles of American produce in demand in the
Weſt Indies may be had on much better terms in Canada than
in the United States; and if the Canadian merchants had
ſuflicient capitals to enable them to trade thither largely, there
can hardly be a doubt but that the people of the Britiſh Weſt
Indien iſles would draw their ſupplies from Canada rather thao
from any other part of America. The few cargoes at prefent
ſent from Quebec alwavs command a preference in the Weſt
Indian markets over thoſe fent from any part of the United

States.
and

REFLECTIONS. 47

and liberty as thoſe of the neighbouring coun-
try; and that whatever ſhe might loſe. by
expoſing herſelf to the horrors of a ſangumary
war, ſhe could gain no eſſential or immediate
advantages whatſoeyer, by aſſerting her own
independence.

END OF THE PIRST VOLUME,

= l
r "I ITY n 22

it A

Lo we = -

.
6241.4

"ns 4 =

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Texts

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "Travels through the states of North America, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797. By Isaac Weld, junior. Second edition. Illustrated and embellished with sixteen plates. In two volumes. ... 1799: Vol 1"

See other formats